Infant Snug Ride
A look at what is currently available on eBay
 Graco Snug Ride Infant Car Seat Jungle Theme US $30.00 
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Which carseat should I purchase after my baby has outgrown her infant seat?
My almost 9-month-old baby weighs around 17 lbs. and is starting to look uncomfortable in her Graco Snug Ride infant seat. I know she must stay in a rear-facing seat until she is 20 lbs. and 1 year old.
So should I buy a new convertable car seat now, or should I wait until she is a year old and 20 lbs. and just buy a front-facing car seat?
Also...which car seat is the safest? Or, where can I find such information?
I would recommend you buying a convertible seat. The bare minimum for forward facing is 1 year AND 20 lbs. Most convertible seats on the market can rear face to 30/33/35 lbs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends rearfacing to the limit of the seat. It is safest for your little one.
This video has great information on rear-facing to the limits of the seat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo
This website also has crash test videos of forward facing children vs. rear facing children: http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/StayRearFacing.aspx
The best convertible seat for you would be one that fits your child, fits your car, fits your budget, and one that will be used correctly every single time.
Depending on how much you are wanting to spend on a carseat, there are a lot of great convertible seats out there.
If you need help deciding which carseat would be best for your child, http://www.car-seat.org is a great website with many very knowledgable CPST (car seat techs) and CPS Advocates that have experience with a variety of different seats and cars. I encourage you to check out that website! 
