Baby Arrival Brief · Week 4

Car-seat class prep, registrations & the documents folder

Monday, October 19 – Sunday, October 25, 2026

51 days to Dec 9 ≈ week 33 Wolf wedding Oct 25

⚖️ Decisions due

Dependent-care FSA election for 2027. With Yelena starting April 2027 (3 days/week, paid care), a dependent-care FSA could shelter up to the IRS limit of pre-tax dollars. Research SAP's plan now so the election is set during open enrollment — it can't be added mid-year. Due: Friday, Oct 23.
Diaper bag: buy or repurpose? Decide whether an existing wipe-clean backpack covers it or a dedicated bag goes on the registry. Due: Sunday, Oct 25.

This week's actions

Register the PIPA aire rx, RELX base, and TRIV lx at Nuna's site with the Sep 21 Galt Baby purchase info. This is what gets you recall notices and warranty coverage — five minutes now, real protection later. Photograph the model/serial labels while you're at it.

LevDue Fri, Oct 23

Research the dependent-care FSA for 2027

Check SAP's benefits portal: 2027 dependent-care FSA limit, eligible expenses (Yelena's paid care qualifies if she's not your dependent and the care enables you both to work), and the open-enrollment deadline. Run the tax-savings math at your marginal rate — this is free money if the numbers work.

LevDue Fri, Oct 23

Build the baby-documents folder (physical + digital)

One folder — paper and a matching digital copy — holding: the decided full legal name, birth-certificate worksheet notes, pediatrician contact, insurance enrollment checklist, SSN application info, and car-seat registration confirmations. This folder goes to the hospital and lives by the door from Dec 1.

LevDue Sun, Oct 25

Do the Prentice route + parking recon drive

Drive 250 E. Superior St. on a weeknight: time the route from 134 Willow, find the 222 E. Huron garage entrance, note where the Customer Service desks are on floors 1–2 for ticket validation. A calm 20-minute recon now beats a 2am navigation problem in December.

Lev + BlairDue Sun, Oct 25

Deep dive · Preparing for the Nov 14 car-seat class

Pickup + installation class at Galt Baby, Saturday, November 14 — for the Nuna PIPA aire rx + RELX base ($650, Caviar, ordered Sept 21). This is the single most hands-on safety session in the whole plan. Here's how to get full value from it.

What you own

PIPA aire rx infant seat + RELX base with on-the-go recline and a load leg. The base stays in the car; the seat clicks in and out (and onto the TRIV lx stroller frame from your Babylist).
Do not buy the TRIV lx separately — it's on the Babylist registry as the gift path. Only revisit if the registry comes up empty in late November.

Before the class

Register everything with Nuna (action 1) and skim the manuals — arrive knowing the parts' names, not learning them there.
Check which car you'll install in first (the Subaru Forester, presumably) and know where its LATCH anchors and tether points are — the vehicle manual's child-safety section.
Bring: the base + seat (if Galt hasn't held them), the vehicle manual or photos of the back seat, and both caregivers — Blair should do the install herself at least once, not just watch.

Questions to ask the instructor

LATCH vs. seat-belt installation for the Forester — which gives the tighter install, and what's the LATCH weight limit?
Recline angle: how to read the RELX base's level indicator, and how the on-the-go recline works.
The harness "pinch test" — how snug is snug on a newborn.
Moving the base between cars — what transfers and what stays.
The winter-coat rule: bulky coats and snowsuits don't compress in a crash — dress the baby in thin layers, buckle, then lay the coat over the harness.
How long the PIPA aire rx fits — height/weight limits and the signs it's time for the convertible seat.

After the class

Install the base in the Forester that weekend and leave it there — the seat clicks out for the stroller, the base stays put. If you opted for an independent CPST check (decided last week), schedule it for the week of Nov 16 with the base already installed.

Install the base no later than the weekend of Nov 14–15. "The car seat is installed" is a line item on the Dec 4 everything-functional checkpoint — don't let it drift into December.