An Earth Day Miracle

(Hallelujah!)

Yes, this IS my child.  Yes, she IS asleep.  And yes, she IS in her car seat.  I know, I can't believe it either!  For the record, this happened yesterday, too, so it's not only an Earth Day miracle, it was a Wednesday miracle, too.  TWO DAYS in a row she fell asleep in the car without crying!  She just... FELL. ASLEEP.  And then angels sang.  

I think my big girl is finally FINALLY getting used to the car seat.  And it only took five months of screaming, crying, wailing and sobbing, choking, coughing... but we made it!  

Friday!

Eliza found her hand recently, and it pretty much rocks her world.  "Oh, hand.  Where have you been all my life?" she says.
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Thank you for the comments about Eliza and the car seat.  I know she will grow out of it, but it helps to hear it from other experienced moms (Abby!!).  Today when we went to visit our friends and their new baby, she fell asleep on the way there after only about 3 minutes of screaming, and then on the way home after about 10 minutes of screaming.  Not a vast improvement, but I'll take it!

Car Seat Update

She still hates it.  She still screams until she coughs, chokes, runs out of breath... :(  It is so hard for me to listen to her get so upset, I feel so bad.  I don't know what to do.  I *need to* leave the house at least every other day.  I go a little stir crazy if we stay inside for too long... I didn't leave the house for like three days last week, and it wasn't pretty.  But it's such a mental struggle because, while I feel like I need to leave for my own sanity, I really hate to make her go through the seemingly extreme TORTURE of strapping her in the car seat and driving somewhere.  I feel like I'm being selfish.

Damn this weather - I wish I could just put her in the sling and walk outside.  I would walk everywhere!  Unfortunately I live in a bit of a cultural wasteland (a little too close to suburbia) where the only places that are within walking distance include a liquor store, a bar, and a corner store.  Don't get me wrong, I like having the corner store nearby... very helpful for last minute 'OH CRAP I DON'T HAVE ANY EGGS' emergencies, and I can imagine that we'll walk there with Eliza to get a little treat every once in a while when she's older, but... it's not the same as having a town center nearby - or even just a little area with shops, maybe a coffee shop, a neighborhood cafe... *sigh*.  I'm dreaming.  Living where we live has definitely taught hubby and me what we want out of our next home, where we want to live next.

Anyway, I digress... the car seat.  I guess I just have to accept that I have a baby who dislikes her car seat (unlike EVERY OTHER PARENT I HAVE EVER TALKED TO <-- well, okay, not quite, but still).  I know she has to grow out of this.  She WILL grow out of this.  I'm sure I won't have a 3 year old screaming and crying in the back seat... right?  RIGHT?

(ohdearlordpleasesayright)

Friday

Thank you all for the car seat advice. I've started putting her in the car seat just to hang out while we're at home over the last day. She still fights it, but a couple of times she has tolerated it for a few minutes before screaming. Then, this morning, when I MADE her leave the house with me to go visit my mom at work (I know, the HORROR), she only screamed for 5 minutes out of the 10 minute drive there! So, maybe we're getting somewhere...? Time will tell, I guess. But thank you for the support - it helps. Any new tips or suggestions are still welcome!

Tonight, hubby and I are going to an event for our favorite local public radio station. They are having a birthday party and invited a few different bands to play. I'm most excited to see Mason Jennings. My parents are watching Eliza for us. Better go get ready!

Car Seat = TORTURE DEVICE

Wanna see my beautiful, sweet, contented girl turns into a she-devil (and I say that with nothing but the MOST love and adoration)?

Just put her in her car seat.

O. M. G. Srsly, people, it's bad.

I went to Target this morning, and as I took her out of the car SCREAMING BLOODY MURDER, I was sure the old lady sitting in the car next to me was going to get out and request that I PLEASE STOP BEATING MY CHILD NOW.

It's not a cry that leaves her mouth as much as it is an unholy scream. Here's how you at home can replicate it so you can see what it sounds like! Ooh, it's like a fun party trick: take a deep breath, and SCREAM. Make sure you KEEP SCREAMING until your lungs have no air left, so that at the end of the scream, your mouth is still open but no sound is coming out anymore. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat... REPEAT.

Okay, I joke (well, kinda). I love my baby girl and I want her to not hate leaving the house! So really, I'm wondering if anyone has had a child who hated their car seat (and, thus, driving in the car)? Any suggestions? Did it go away at a certain age? She's been like this since week 1, and we thought it would eventually get better with time, but honestly, it's actually getting worse. She's almost 2.5 months old and it shows no signs of stopping. She arches her back when we try to put her in the car seat now, and screams from point A to point B. We've tried having someone sit in the back with her, singing to her, offering a finger (or pacifier, but she generally hates those) to suck on, we've tried a convertible car seat (instead of the infant bucket seat)... nothing.

Any advice is appreciated!!!