I didn’t realize how much I would need this car until now! Yesterday I had the double stroller, the regular stroller and the umbrella stroller thrown in the back of my Traverse because I didn’t know which one I would need. That extra space in the back is awesome!
Last night, we actually ventured out to go meet Jay for dinner. We beat him there, so I was able to turn on a movie for Claire and keep her entertained until he got there! And let’s not forget those car drives to quiet the baby down! Funny how when the car stops, he immediately starts crying and as soon as I get going again, he’s fine! I love that the seats can be moved closer to the front. I am able to reach back and pop Parker’s pacifier in at a stop light. He’s close enough that I can actually do that without breaking my back!
Well, the baby is crying again. I’ve had to walk away from the computer four different times now. Maybe it’s time to go load up into the Traverse! (I’d have to change out of my p.j’s first I guess)
being a Chevy mom of 2! It still feels kind of strange to say I have 2 kids. It’s awesome, don’t get me wrong. I’m still just amazed that I now have 2 kids! All four of us loaded up to get a ceiling fan this weekend – a rare trip out of the house. We were strolling inside with our double stroller and I looked at my husband and said, “we have 2 kids”. It was the first time all 4 of us ventured in somewhere together. The first stop didn’t have what we were looking for. By the time we got to the second stop, Parker was asleep and Claire was fading fast. So, we took turns hopping out to see if we liked the ceiling fan selection. I went first, then came back out and got in the driver’s seat of our Traverse. I turned on a movie for Claire, complete with wireless headphones. She loves those things. That kept her from melting down while Jay made the purchase inside. I had a clear view of Parker, too, since they can both sit in the middle – with 2 captains chairs. The back seat was already folded down to make room for the double stroller when I popped the automatic lift gate for Jay to put the fan in there. HUGE box plus double stroller fit easily in the Traverse!!
We aren’t getting out much. Call me a bit of a germaphobe, but I just don’t feel up to taking my new baby out in public where he will be exposed to lots of germs. He was born early, so maybe I fuss over him a bit more than I should, but that’s my job, right?! So we’ve made a few trips to Nana’s house instead. I’ve been inside too much since coming home from the hospital, I forgot just how terribly hot it has been. The remote start on the Traverse comes in extremely handy! I can get the car cooled off, before I load the kids up, instead of 10 minutes down the road. On a 95 plus degree day, that makes a big difference. And believe me, when the kids aren’t crying, why give them a reason to start? I’ve also been keeping the shades pulled on the 2 sunroofs. That helps provide some extra shade and is great if the sun happens to be shining in Parker’s eyes. I love the fresh air when it’s cooled off at night though! Open those up and roll down the windows – the fresh air is great! It’s the little things that us Chevy Mom’s appreciate!
I haven’t gotten out much in the last 2 weeks so a trip to the dr. office was exciting today! Parker had his 2 week check up and seems to be doing well. He weighs 7 lbs. 3 oz. now. The dr. said they like them to be back to their birth weight at the 2 week check up and he is past that, so that is great! It was definitely nice to not have to break my back getting that carrier in and out of the Traverse. In the Impala, I always had to lean over to get into the back and pull it out. Especially since I’m still recovering from the c section, it was great that Parker’s seat was at chest level. It’s fun having both kids in the car and looking at them in my rear view mirror. It was definitely worth the investment in the Traverse to have the extra room and especially the safety! Here is a picture of Parker.
Parker David Carothers arrived 4 weeks early – SURPRISE!- on Sunday, July 25. He is a little peanut, weighing only 6 lbs. 12 oz. and 19″ long. I am absolutely in love for the second time. (You know what I mean, it’s a different kind of love than with your husband.) This past Thursday, we packed our now family of 4 into our Traverse to come home from the hospital. It’s nerve wracking putting a newborn baby into a car for the first time. I watched like a hawk, just waiting for a car to get too close, or not check their blind spot, or not slow down, etc. But honestly, I kept telling myself to chill out cause I know that the Traverse is safe. 6 airbags – including side airbags and a 5 star safety rating. So yes, all of the details are nice – it looks cool, has the bluetooth, a USB, automatic lift gate, DVD, an amazing warranty and fantastic gas mileage, but when it comes right down to it, I put safety for my 2 babies at the top of the list. Here’s a picture of little Parker
My scheduled c section is quickly approaching. August 2, Parker will be here! Claire has been buckling her bunny rabbit, a.k.a “Cinderella Tiara Bunny” in the seat beside her. I don’t know how she’s going to take it when I tell her that Cinderella Bunny is going to have to move over to make room for Parker’s car seat!
I’m sooo happy that we upgraded to the Traverse. I worried about putting 2 car seats in the back of the Impala. It just felt too tight and I worried about the safety of the seats if we were in a crash, because in a sedan, the safest place for a car seat is in the middle. Obviously 2 seats can’t fit in the middle of a sedan. The Traverse has 2 separate seats in the middle for each car seat (or I could use the third row bench if I want to) plus 6 airbags and a 5 star safety rating.
You’re missing out if you don’t try out the Traverse. Go to Sir Walter Chevy on Glenwood Ave. You’ll be in great hands, I promise. And no pressure, seriously. Moms, you might be surprised to know that our sales”man” was JJ – who is a woman and a Chevy Mom!!!!!
We took Jay’s parents out to a nice dinner to celebrate their retirement this past weekend. We surprised them by sneeking a couple of family members into town and we all piled into the Traverse! We took Claire’s car seat out. It was weird to not have a car seat in there! We very comfortably seated 6 people. 2 in the back, 2 in the middle and of course 2 in the front. I am running the AC at full blast these days, but it was nice that the passengers in the back could control their own temperature. I was freezing them out!! Just another great feature of the Traverse!
We had our first beach trip in the Traverse. We loaded up the back. We just folded that third row down! It was so nice to not have to worry about running out of room or having to pack stuff around Claire and her car seat in the back seat!
She recently is in this phase where she wants Jay or I to sit beside her in the other chair in the middle row. I rode half of the trip back there with her and was surprisingly comfortable! Of course, we were watching the “Max and Ruby” marathon on the DVD player.
We ended up leaving a day early. It was just too hot for me and my poor husband did more working than relaxing cause I couldn’t help with much. So you may notice that our stuff is kind of tossed into the back of the Traverse. We had to bust a move to get out of the hotel by a certain time. But it didn’t matter, cause it all fit! Now if the car would just clean itself up and get rid of the sand that’s in the back, that would be awesome!
The Traverse is making it to all of the Hometown Tours this summer! (Well, the ones that are pre-baby at least). We go to different McDonald’s locations in various towns collecting Quarters for Kids at the North Carolina Children’s Hospital in Chapel Hill. I am spoiled now because I can be lazy and not look up directions anymore. I love having the ease of a button right at my fingertips. I use OnStar to navigate my way to and from the Hometown tour location. Last week we were in Cary. I included a video below that also shows the automatic start feature and some goofing off by the Q Morning Crew! Check it out!
I’m having a baby in 5 weeks – aughhh! I am not ready, mentally or otherwise, but regardless, he is coming! Don’t get me wrong, we are super excited. I just haven’t gotten everything ready yet. I think I was ready at least a month or 2 before Claire came. And such begins, the life of the second child, right?
My sister in law had some of my baby stuff at her house and is also letting me borrow some of her stuff. So we went over on Saturday to pick some of it up. I forgot to have Jay take the double stroller out before we got there! So he was not terribly happy, because it was looking like we were going to have to limit what we took back and maybe make an extra trip. But actually, it worked out! We had a double stroller, a bassinet, a bouncer seat, some clothes and the umbrella stroller in the back of the Traverse (seats folded down of course). Even I was amazed because just the bassinet and the double stroller alone took up a bunch of space! I pulled out my camera to get a picture and of course the battery was dead. If I had a dollar for every time that happened, right? Well, anyway, you get the point. Space, space and more space!!! Essential for families with kids. I can’t wait to load it up for our beach trip next week. I can bring the whole house!! My husband will LOVE that!
