I recently posted a photo on Instagram of all three girls on the way to school dropoff, and I received a lot of questions about which model of car I was driving, our car seat setup and which brand of car seats I used for each of the girls. I thought it would be helpful to share how I tote everyone around, but before I begin, I want to disclose that this is a sponsored blog post. I also want to share that I first reached out to Chicco (versus them to me) and that we’ve used Chicco car seats for the past five years. I am very loyal to this brand and have never experienced any issues or had any concerns with our girls’ car seats. I’m honored to work with them to bring you this post. As always, thank you for supporting the brands we absolutely love!
When I was pregnant with Emilia, I began to worry about how I would load both girls into the car (Isla was a very active 2.5 year old when her sister was born). I kept asking myself: “Who gets put in first: the baby or the toddler?”
Then, when I was pregnant with Georgie, I had all the concerns about all things car related: How will we fit in my crossover SUV? Who do I load first? Do I trust Isla to buckle herself if I can’t see what she’s doing in a third row? Will Emilia forever complain about being in the car? Ha.
Fortunately, the transition to three kids in the car has gone smoothly for the most part, with a car ride here and there that was less than ideal (the crying kid trigger effect!). The four questions I’ve received most often about our car configuration are listed below!
What car do you drive? I drove a crossover SUV (Lexus RX350) for the past 10 years (which was perfect for two kids), but when Georgie was born, I started driving Sasha’s larger SUV. So now we identify cars as the white car and the silver car, since we, in theory, share. The “white car” is a Mercedes GL350. We are thinking about getting a GMC Yukon next, which has even more space than the GL. I recently looked at my friends’ Odyssey and my “I’ll never drive a minivan” statement from ten years ago was definitely questioned – it’s a fantastic and very functional car!
What configuration do you use to get all three girls seated? The GL350 has a third row with seats that can fold down individually. We have one seat collapsed, and Isla sits in her booster seat in the other seat. It makes it so easy for her to get in her seat—I just open the trunk, help her up and she is able to buckle and unbuckle herself. It also leaves enough space to fit a double stroller in the trunk. In the second row, I have Emi behind my seat and Georgie behind the passenger seat. Normally the middle seat is where Emi puts her school bag and lunchbox on the way to her preschool.
What order do you load your girls into the car? I typically put Georgie in first, since she’s in the side closest to the door to our mudroom. Then I’ll pop open the trunk and help Isla into the back, then walk around to my side of the car and buckle in Emilia. It doesn’t always happen this way, but it’s working for us most of the time!
Which car seat do you use for each girl? Each girl is in a different age appropriate Chicco car seat.
Georgie is the Chicco KeyFit 30 Zip Air and KeyFit Infant Car Seat Base. We’ve used the KeyFit 30 since Isla’s first ride home from the hospital. It’s the car seat that almost all of my friends use, and it receives such high safety ratings and awards that I would never use another model. For Georgie’s birth, I got a new car seat and was impressed by how light it feels (even with her now just under 11 pounds!). All of my strollers have Chicco adapters, so it fits in the strollers we use when we’re running or out doing errands.
Isla is in the KidFit 2-in-1 Belt Positioning Booster Car Seat. It is very easy for Isla to buckle herself with this booster, and it’s very light which makes it easy if we have to transfer it to another car. It has great safety ratings too, which is obviously very important.
Emilia is in the new Chicco NextFit Zip Max. Isla used the NextFit from around the time she turned one until around this time last year (so 3.5 years). Chicco recently updated its NextFit line, which includes a variety of models at price points to fit every family’s budget, and we are loving the NextFit Zip Max so far.
One of my favorite features is that it allows kids to remain rear-facing up to 50 pounds and offers extra legroom in rear-facing mode, as well as extended calf support for older children in forward-facing mode. Emilia is already forward-facing, but the 9-position adjustable headrest and padded harness will continue to grow with her until she reaches 65 pounds or 49 inches tall.
The NextFit Zip Max was also super easy to install and can transition smoothly between our two vehicles thanks to LATCH connectors with a simple click-on attachment and push-button release. The seat shell is also reinforced with a steel frame. It feels very sturdy. Since my children seem to always want to eat in the car, it’s very valuable to me that the seat features a machine-washable, zip-off seat pad and a breathable backrest.
We are so happy with all of the girls’ seats. While I’m still learning how to adapt to life with three kids in many aspects of our lives, I’m glad that we are very well setup in how we transport them from point a to point b. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at Ailee@SnapshotsByAileePetrovic.com.
