To the Internet: Chill
January 26th, 2005I know the New Year’s resolutions aren’t working out and we all spent too much on the holidays. So what’s the obsession with my baby girl and how she sits in her carseat? There’s a lot of other things going on in the world today, so Internet, what gives?
Leta is nearly a year old. She’s tall for her age and will not fit comfortably in ANY publicly available carset that faces the rear of the vehicle. We decided that because of her height AND weight, it’s fine for her to ride facing forward. She’s not near an airbag, and our vehicle has the LATCH system, which is recommended by everybody.
Every time we buckle her in, I check the LATCH belts and she is always secured at three points (two bottom, one tether on the top). The straps are taut. She’s buckled in as recommended and her safety is important to us. Most of the time, anyway. When we’re not doing stuff like this:
(sometimes I sign autographs “Joe”)
We had a pretty crazy scene here yesterday. I was driving out west of town with Leta facing forward in her carseat and the cops got involved:
I think they saw Leta facing forward in her carseat because they were driving like crazy:
But when the dust settled the cops just said that I looked kind of like the guy on the left:
Who, as luck would have it, has a sweet bobble head doll of his likeness on sale now.
Moral of the story: Car jumps with flames are sweet. o
January 28th, 2005 at 8:48 am
You jumped all the way back to 1977? Very cool, Joe.
January 28th, 2005 at 8:50 am
When I first saw the picture of Leta facing forward, I cringed. Not because she was facing forward, but because I knew you and Heather were in for a load of crap emails. Everyone’s right, fuck the haters. You guys are doing great.
January 28th, 2005 at 9:39 am
All I can say is…I want a Luke Duke bobblehead!!
January 28th, 2005 at 9:52 am
I cannot believe that anyone (even the mindless idiots on the interweb) would think for even a second that you or Heather would even CONSIDER doing something that would be dangerous to Leta - some people need a good smack upside the head
January 28th, 2005 at 9:54 am
I live in Mexico, and truly, if it was so terrible, all mexican children would be dead, I’m one of the five people who use a carseat. Seriously, you are great parents.
January 28th, 2005 at 10:07 am
Thus Spake GreenOceanBear: “The time you spend whining about it is ridiculous. How do you go through life being this sensitive?!”
GreenOceanBear: let me get this straight — your method of advising someone to be less sensitive is…giving them a lengthy lecture in which you call them “ridiculous”? How do YOU go through life being this abrasive?!
January 28th, 2005 at 10:18 am
Bo Duke and Luke Duke. Damn they were hot. I lusted after the Dukes of Hazzard before I ever knew what lust was. Thanks for the reminder.
I bet if you get Leta an Evil Kinevil Helmet, people will stop complaining about the carseat deal.
January 28th, 2005 at 10:21 am
She should be in the middle it’s the safest place for a child. And I’m sorry but she’s not ready to be facing forward, they make seats for bigger children that face backwards. http://www.utahsafetycouncil.org/Traffic/belts/CSS. You also should have her in the middle it’s the safest place, that’s where her rear-facing seat should have been too. My sister is a pediatrician, so I know that there’s not a doctor who’d tell you it was okayÖat least not any good ones I know.
I have to agree with the other poster. Don’t air your dirty laundry and your life, if you’re going to get your panties in a wad. Keep a part of your life private and you won’t have this problem. The Internet allows people to say things they wouldn’t in person. As a mother, I would notice your little baby in the side seat and because I care I would tell you about larger car seats for big babies, I would tell you she should be in the middle. And then if you didn’t listen to me, I’d tell you about the baby that I had take out of a car seat about 4 years ago with a broken neck, that was in a front facing car seat at 10 months. I’m an EMT registered and by law until my license expires next month I must stop for all accidents. This is one accident’ I didn’t want to be involved with. I’ll never forget that one till the day I die. If Leta cries, so be it, it’s all part of raising a child, they don’t like car seats.
I also have a sister who is almost exactly similar to Leta in her developments. Melissa did walk eventually @ 1-year.4 months but she was forever in special Ed classes all her childhood. It wasn’t just her body she was delayed on things that we were doing at 4-6 months, waving goodbye, talking etc that she didn’t get till much later. She’s married now, and has 4 children, but life has been difficult for her and her body now has developed Rheumatoid Arthritis at 34. She had my parents and family to help, it helped some but the hard work she had to do by herself. We shelled out $$$$ of dollars and this was in the 70, and 80 to put her in special schools that would help her do better in school and learn good social skills. She’s not retarded by any means she’s just emotionally behind and was always will be behind everyone else. I’d get a second, and third opinion on Leta, and then find some support groups.
I wish you luck.
January 28th, 2005 at 10:23 am
tears in the eyes from laughing, that’s all I can say.
January 28th, 2005 at 10:25 am
Are you SURE you’re not out on the roads driving like that? I thought it was you that I saw doing doughnuts on the interstate when I was on my way to the grocery store! Ha, ha.
Anyway, sorry to hear that people are still putting their noses in it.
January 28th, 2005 at 10:40 am
Lucky,
It takes a lot to drag me out of my cellar, but you have just erected a monument of nitwittedness and I feel I should salute.
I will grant you that your advice on car seats, however inexplicable the urge to offer it here and now, is driven by good intentions. You truly don’t like the idea of breaknecked babies. I can dig that. They bug me, too.
But talk to me about your last paragraph. Before you do, though, let me tell you about a friend I have who is also named “Lucky,” who was almost exactly similar to you in her writing of pointless, specifically not-asked-for doomsaying. She got hit by a tub of mayonnaise that somebody dropped from a zeppelin and then fell into a shark’s mouth and died. But at least she’s not retarded by any means. Just dead. I’d get a second, and third opinion on your postings, and then find some support groups.
Oh, and I also wish you luck, “Lucky.”
January 28th, 2005 at 10:42 am
Yeah, babies should be in the middle but what about when you have two kids back there or an adult sitting next to the carseat. The middle isn’t always a viable option….just like knowing when to keep your opinions to yourself.
January 28th, 2005 at 10:46 am
Oh, I’m all for her facing forward. Gives her more room to hold her martini and play with the knives and razor blades you and Heather are always handing to her.
People who criticize people obviously don’t have anything going on in their own lives.
January 28th, 2005 at 10:54 am
HA! Ok thanks for cracking my shit up!
Screw’em! It’s your child and you and H are taking wonderful care of her.
January 28th, 2005 at 10:55 am
Lucky -
Maybe you meant well by your ancedotal story about your sister, but I don’t see how it has any relevance to Leta. In fact, I think it’s rather insensitive to tell such a doomsday story and imply that you see the same symptoms as Leta. Are you a pediatrician? I also doubt that unless your sister had RA as a child, her slow development as a child had anything to do with developing rheumatoid arthritis in her adult years. My sister has a lupus, another autoimmune disorder, which was diagnosed at age 24, and she showed no signs of anything being wrong as a child.
From their posts, Jon and Heather have made sure that Leta has received excellent medical care. Primary Children’s hospital is one of the best childrens’ hospitals in the country. Leta is also receiving PT. I think we can all rest assured that she is being well taken care of.
Don’t you have things to worry about in your own life?
Mari
January 28th, 2005 at 11:03 am
GREATEST POST EVER!
Damn. those crazy Dukes.
January 28th, 2005 at 11:08 am
I forgot to say- I was diagnosed with Lupus 10 years ago. I’m an only child. You better have another child or Leta is going to get Lupus since she is an only child. Holy crap! I’m 6 ft tall. Leta is tall. Will the similarities never cease?
January 28th, 2005 at 11:14 am
Your response is capital A-awesome!!
Once Luke Duke flew over a fence and landed on his ass, the rest of the gang ran over and asked if he was hurt and he responded
“The only thing hurt is my pride”
and for the longest time I thought pride was another word for ass.
PS. you should start training Leta to box now, shes got some mitts on her! Super cutie!
January 28th, 2005 at 11:25 am
Lisa,
Thanks for that Indiana info. I don’t have kids, but a friend of mine was worried about that law and she swore there wasn’t a weight limit issued (because I figured that was what they’d have to do, really, because some small kids stay small and whatever). Good to have that link!!
January 28th, 2005 at 11:39 am
We faced our girl forward at the 11 month point. She weighed 20 pounds, had strength in her neck, etc… You’re a damn good Dad, and you know what? You’re Leta’s only dad, and that makes you the king of the world to her. So do whatever you damn well please. We know you’ll always do it with love for her.
January 28th, 2005 at 11:48 am
Lucky, eat it.
January 28th, 2005 at 11:58 am
So funny. I almost peed my pants thinking of Leta in that car.
January 28th, 2005 at 12:06 pm
I get the weirdest feeling that the 3-year-old in the rear-facing carseat (in the link from Car Seat Nazi’s comment that started all this) is still breastfeeding, too.
And, umm, Lucky? “Don’t air your dirty laundry and your life, if you’re going to get your panties in a wad. Keep a part of your life private and you won’t have this problem.”?
How exactly is posting a photo of their child riding in a car airing dirty laundry? Not that anything else you said makes any sense either.
January 28th, 2005 at 12:23 pm
haplys, when my little Too-Tall Jones outgrew his infant car seat, we went with the Britax Wizard convertible seat. It’s a crapload of money, but it’s rated rear-facing from 5 to 33 pounds and forward from 20 to 65 pounds, so we should be able to have it for some time. I’m worried that he’ll be too tall before we hit the magical year-old mark, but I’m in denial about it for now.
Lucky, can the hysteria. Your sister’s experience is your sister’s experience. It can’t be used to predict Leta’s or anyone else’s future. And that’s as politely as I can put it.
January 28th, 2005 at 12:23 pm
Good grief Lucky. Get a grip. I’m adding you to my ignore list.