It feels SOOO nice...

To have your kid hit 40 lbs and not have to switch to a booster!!!
I remember when Aaric hit 40 lbs about 3 months before his 4th birthday and I agonized over it but there was NO room in the budget for a Regent, so I got him a Cosco Protek.
Mikayla turned 4 in April, but was still in the high 30's, but at her appointment today, she was 40 lbs even! Officially big enough for the extended harnessing album! Woohoo! Its just such a relief to know that she's already in a great seat and can stay put for quite awhile longer.
For comparison if anyone is curious - she's 42 inches, and has about an inch and a half until her shoulders hit the top slots and her head hits the top of the shell.

Also, since I'm getting huge and didn't want to deal with the seats when I get any bigger, we got the seats in the van all configured for post-baby. Plus, i wanted DH to get some more practice at installing the Britaxes. He thought he knew how to do the Husky, but I had to tell him how the long belt path goes, and he got the MA installed super tight and then I thought it looked reclined so I checked and could tell from the seat indentations that he had the base pulled about 2 inches further than normal! BUT - since he weighs more and is stronger, he DID get them in tighter than I do. My installations are always 100% budge free, but I could see that the latch on the MA was pulled a bit tighter. I know he knows how to do the SafeSeat, we'll just toss it in there once the baby is here!
So we've got the MA in the middle row, middle seat, FF, and Mikayla will stay there until either she outgrows it or the baby outgrows the SS, whichever comes first, and will then move into a Regent unless something better is on the market next year.
The Husky is in the 3rd row, outboard on the passenger side, long belt path, and Aaric will stay there until I cave and switch to the Parkway. But his main reason for begging for the PW usually is that he wants a cupholder - and in the outboard seat back there, he's got one of those. I'd really prefer him to be in the middle of the 3rd row, but it IS hard to reach to help him buckle and he's not 100% with that on his own yet.
The baby will be in the middle row, outboard (drivers side), in the SafeSeat.

it *is* nice to have things all planned out and situated, isn't it?

and very nice to have those higher harness weight seats
I couldn't imagine my just turned 5yo in a booster. He's just now beginning to show signs that he *might* be capable of handling one. He's about 40-42# last check. But I'm content (and more confident) with him in the MA. Where he will be for a while. Until sis outgrows the RA (she's at 32-ish) Then I don't know what we'll do. I'm trying NOT to think about that right now LOL

Another booster would mean the baby loses the outboard position, but a husky means no rearview for mom when driving. Ack. see, that's why I'm refusing to think about this right now LOL

Congrats to you. You can rest easy for a good while

About the Parkway cupholder...

just so you know, it's pretty much useless. My son won't even use it anymore b/c it's such a pain. They are both too shallow to hold a drink upright, although I guess if it was wedged in there it might hold it. Everytime you stop or take a turn the cup falls out! So, don't cave b/c of the cupholder! In fact, Elliot really rather prefers to sit in his Husky and pull the center armrest down because those are better!

Oh, he loves his cupholder. He uses the PW in dh's car and he's used it in my mom and MILs cars and understands that the Husky is safer but asks when I'll let him use the Parkway ALL the time, and his reasoning is the cupholder.