Buying a car seat can be completely overwhelming, especially when you are expecting your first baby. The options are endless, and it's really hard to know and understand the difference between all of them. I remember when we bought our first car seat, a friend advised me not to get one of the newer car seat that goes up to 35 lbs. because the baby would outgrow it well before that point, and they are also a lot heavier. I totally didn't understand his point, and went with a 35 lb. limit car seat, anyway, and guess what? My above average in height and weight baby outgrew it well before she was 35 lbs. and we had to buy a new car seat shortly after her first birthday.

(pictured above: Chicco Fit2 Infant & Toddler Car Seat)

It was incredibly frustrating to turn around so quickly and purchase yet another car seat, especially when the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation is for baby to stay rear-facing until at least age two. I know many parents choose to turn their toddlers around earlier; it honestly seems so much more comfortable for them. The typical "bucket" car seats recline so they can't really see out, and their little legs get all scrunched up as they get taller. Enter the Fit2 Infant & Toddler Car Seat by Chicco, available at Babies "R" Us. This genius design makes it possible to use the same carseat from newborn to age 2, and also adjusts to give growing toddlers a more comfortable ride.

All you have to do is simply flip the lever on the base to go from stage 1 (infant position) to stage 2 (toddler position).  It's as easy as that, and then your toddler gets a more upright seat and extended legroom without taking up more space behind your seat.  Also, the headrest has a super clever tab that you simply pull to adjust the headrest height and the straps, so no frustrating experiences re-threading carseat straps.  If you have done this before, you know what I mean, and if you haven't, be thankful you won't have to with this design.

This is a really huge deal for me, as all my kiddos tend to be on the very tall end of the spectrum, and they outgrow the infant seat rather quickly.  Ellie has been cramped and frustrated in the car seat we bought when she was born, and she is loving all the extra legroom, as well as the ability to look out the window.  I'm so grateful for an option that makes it easy for me to keep her rear-facing in a seat that actually fits her.

To raise awareness about the importance of keeping little ones rear facing until at least age 2, Chicco is leading a campaign called TurnAfter2 to help parents remember. To help spread the word, Chicco is prompting parents to post photos of their toddler in a rear facing car seat on social media with #turnafter2 to encourage friends to make the same choice, and to see how many other parents are doing the same.

Chicco recently conducted a survey and discovered that most parents (84%) would tell another parent if they were putting their child at risk, and yet 72% say they are uncomfortable bringing up the car seat issue with friends. It’s tricky – but so important! To encourage you to participate in the TurnAfter2 campaign, I’m giving away one of these awesome car seats that make it so much simpler to keep your child rear facing until at least 2, and one way to enter is to participate in the campaign by posting with #TurnAfter2!

I'm so excited to be giving away one of these car seats to one of you so you can see for yourself how wonderful they are!  Enter below, and I'll announce the winner on Friday, April 28th!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ellie is so pleased with her seat upgrade, and so am I!  Be sure to check out more information on the Chicco Fit2 here - I'm a fan of using the carseat with the super compact caddy stroller when they are tiny!  It stores in the car easily, and you just click the carseat in and out, but the carseat works with any of the Chicco strollers or travel systems.

Thanks so much to Chicco for sponsoring this post; I love working with brands who are motivated by innovation to make our lives easier as moms so we can focus on our kiddos!