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You can do either! Either get an infant seat and then a convertible seat later, or just get a convertible seat from the beginning and use an infant insert. The convertible seat does not snap into strollers and is generally heavy and hard to carry around, just FYI, so it's not very portable.

There are some options. You can start off with an infant seat and then move on to a convertible car seat once LO gets older. That's the route we took. Or they also have convertible seats that have infant inserts. I prefer having a separate infant seat because it can easily be detached from the base and removed from the car. You can move a sleeping baby from the car to the house or store. Infant seats also fit travel systems.

We use an infant seat now which I like because it kinds of shields her away from people so they're a little less likely to put their hands all over her and we got a cover for it so we can just close the flap when we want to protect her from the cold and wind. It's nice because it gives us a safe place to set her when we're out and about too. Like if we're out to eat we don't have to hold her the entire time even though she's too little for a high chair. We just put her in the carseat and she sleeps or plays.

We have an infant seat now and will switch to a convertible once LO has outgrown it. Although she never really stayed asleep in it (after we'd lug it up the stairs she'd wake up) I like being able to take it out and snap it into a stroller. Also we have bases in mine, DH, and my mom's cars since there are times one of us drops her off and another picks her up from daycare.

We have this for the infant stage:

http://www.amazon.com/Chicco-Keyfit-Infant-Seat-Fuego/dp/B001F6WJB6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357524642&sr=8-1&keywords=chicco+keyfit+30+red

and this for when she outgrows that one:

http://www.amazon.com/Evenflo-Tribute-Convertible-Seat-Saturn/dp/B006PB2B6O/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1357524684&sr=1-1&keywords=evenflo+car+seat

and there are no stupid questions!!

The convenience of using an infant car seat is huge for me bc it means that I can take him anywhere to run errands in the mornings after we drop his older brother off at school bc it's usually nap time then. So I just snap him in the stroller in his car seat and go about my business. The downside is that at nine months he is heavy. But in a couple of months I will be moving him into a convertible (Diono bc then I won't have to get a booster later) just liked did with his older brother.

We used the Chicco infant seat until he was 11 months, he was almost too tall, but still had plenty of weight to go.

We went to the Graco My Ride 65, and is doing great in it. I REALLY miss the portability of the infant seat, if he falls asleep he doesn't transfer well, so I usually just park or read a book until he has napped enough.