Eh, this is the big decision for today... we have a Grand Caravan w/2nd row captains chairs, 3rd row 50/50 bench.
Dd, 21 months, rides in a Britax Wizard RF in the passenger 2nd row. She's 26 lbs and plenty short. (She has a Scenara on the passenger side of dh's Focus).
#2 is due in a few months. S/he will be in the Snugride that dd used. (We'll probably get a 2nd Scenara for #2 for dh's car).
SO, I can put #2 behind the driver, and not be able to reach him/her at all, when dd was in the Snugride I could reach far enough to put another pacifier in her mouth when it got crazy in the car (I just kept 6 of them in the ash tray so I didn't have to reach down to her bum to get it). I could turn and see her too. If baby is behind me, then I won't be able to do either of those things safely. I've had the Snugride in that spot before for a friend, and dh can't put the seat back as far as he prefers. He can still drive, just not happily.
Dd is braced against the passenger seat and tethered, and dh can (but rarely) rides as a passenger in the van. Mostly because I just like to make him drive when we all go out.
If I put dd behind the driver, I can tether her to the point where she'd be braced against dh, but not with me, and she can sit at a higher recline angle so he'd have more space. BUT that means she'd be getting out on the street side of the van when we park on the street (not often now, but we're moving into a much more urban city and it's likely we will park on street much more often).
So I think I'm pretty sure about putting dd on the driver side, I can always teach her to get out and wait in the van and I can get her out the passenger side, though she LOVES to climb in the front to play, and that is a big CON for moving her seat. She has loved the front seat since she could crawl up there, and I don't think she'll outgrow that anytime soon.
I don't want to have to climb over seats or have to go back around to get her out with an infant in a sling... aaah!
Someone got any other major pros/cons I'm overlooking? Dd is pretty content to ride w/o a lot of help most of the day, though sometimes I have to pass her a soft toy or two. We don't use a stroller, so that's not really an issue.
I want to move her now - in the next few weeks - since I don't want her to feel like the new baby displaced her in the car too, as baby will be sleeping with me (dd goes to bed with dh and if he actually doesn't fall asleep with her, he is the one to get her if she wakes at night), baby will get the sling, etc.
I think if it ever stops raining I'll go try both seats in both positions to see how far back dh can move the drivers seat, though I think I prefer being able to reach the infant if needed. Maybe I'm just way overthinking the whole thing!
Dd, 21 months, rides in a Britax Wizard RF in the passenger 2nd row. She's 26 lbs and plenty short. (She has a Scenara on the passenger side of dh's Focus).
#2 is due in a few months. S/he will be in the Snugride that dd used. (We'll probably get a 2nd Scenara for #2 for dh's car).
SO, I can put #2 behind the driver, and not be able to reach him/her at all, when dd was in the Snugride I could reach far enough to put another pacifier in her mouth when it got crazy in the car (I just kept 6 of them in the ash tray so I didn't have to reach down to her bum to get it). I could turn and see her too. If baby is behind me, then I won't be able to do either of those things safely. I've had the Snugride in that spot before for a friend, and dh can't put the seat back as far as he prefers. He can still drive, just not happily.
Dd is braced against the passenger seat and tethered, and dh can (but rarely) rides as a passenger in the van. Mostly because I just like to make him drive when we all go out.
If I put dd behind the driver, I can tether her to the point where she'd be braced against dh, but not with me, and she can sit at a higher recline angle so he'd have more space. BUT that means she'd be getting out on the street side of the van when we park on the street (not often now, but we're moving into a much more urban city and it's likely we will park on street much more often).
So I think I'm pretty sure about putting dd on the driver side, I can always teach her to get out and wait in the van and I can get her out the passenger side, though she LOVES to climb in the front to play, and that is a big CON for moving her seat. She has loved the front seat since she could crawl up there, and I don't think she'll outgrow that anytime soon.
I don't want to have to climb over seats or have to go back around to get her out with an infant in a sling... aaah!
Someone got any other major pros/cons I'm overlooking? Dd is pretty content to ride w/o a lot of help most of the day, though sometimes I have to pass her a soft toy or two. We don't use a stroller, so that's not really an issue.
I want to move her now - in the next few weeks - since I don't want her to feel like the new baby displaced her in the car too, as baby will be sleeping with me (dd goes to bed with dh and if he actually doesn't fall asleep with her, he is the one to get her if she wakes at night), baby will get the sling, etc.
I think if it ever stops raining I'll go try both seats in both positions to see how far back dh can move the drivers seat, though I think I prefer being able to reach the infant if needed. Maybe I'm just way overthinking the whole thing!