Graco SafeSeat base question + other questions

I have a Graco SafeSeat DOM March 2007. I have two bases for it, one is January 2007 and I believe the other is sometime in 2006 (I'm too lazy to find it in the basement)
First question. I know the seat itself expires December 2013 (what is embossed in the plastic) but when does the base expire? 6 years from DOM or in December, like the seat? I've e-mailed Graco about it but I am getting impatient waiting for a response.

Ok, so this is really premature thinking. I have #3 due in the fall. I'm mostly wondering if I can use the seat again but if one of my bases is expired, I'll most likely just buy a new seat anyways. I liked having the infant carrier for the first two (born November and December) and while I'd like to use an infant carrier for this one, I'm not sure it is necessary. I'm in MB. What do you think?

This baby is due around DD's 5th birthday and I don't know if she'd be ready for a booster. I doubt it. She's tall but currently 37lbs and I think I'd rather keep her harnessed as long as possible. For our two vehicles, we currently own 3 Radians and 1 Marathon. She's almost outgrown her Marathon in height but still has some room to grow in the Radian (I'll switch her to a Radian in both vehicles and give her younger brother born December 2009 the Marathon... which means I'll have to switch him forward facing).

Am I best to just buy another infant carrier? If so, know of one that will puzzle well with Radians in a 2009 Hyundai Sonata?

I don't know when the bases expire, but I would guess that the one that came with your safeseat would expire at the same time as the seat. For the other base, I have no idea. You should call Graco for that information.

If one of your base expires, I know that you could install your one base that isn't expired in the vehicle you use the most, and when using the other vehicle, you could always install the seat without the base ? That way, you wouldn't have to buy another infant carrier, and still have the convenience of using one.

Also, according to this page : http://www.gracobaby.com/pages/basecompatibility.aspx, the safe seat fits the Snugride 35 base, so if you want to have two bases you could buy just that base if you're not planning on having another baby.

Otherwise, you could get a Snugride 35, it will also fit on your Safe Seat base that hasn't expired, and then buy another Snugride 35 base when your Safe Seat base has finally expired.

I live in Québec, so I don't know about Manitoba, but I do know that here, especially for an autum-winter baby, infant carriers are very convenient, since you can get baby dressed in thin layers of clothing, strap him/her in, and then add blankets on top for warmth. It's safer than strapping them in with a bulky winter coat. Also, if you do not want to wake baby up every time you have to get in and out of the car, that would be the best solution. But hey, you have two kids already, so you probably know that.

I am a fan of having the infant seat, especially since I hear your winters are brutal, and especially with two other kids 5 and under to keep track of. I would however make a similar suggestion to what jmbullet mentioned (I am also personally just not a fan of baseless installs, that would totally be an option if you are happy with doing them): if one of your bases is expired (not sure on the answer to that) I would use the base/bucket for the car you use the most, and get another seat for your 5yo - either harnessed/booster combo (like the Maestro, Nauti, Frontier or maybe SecureKid? need to research that one!) or a booster for the car you use least, and give a Radian to the baby.

In terms of puzzling, I would put the 2/3yo in the Marathon in center of the Sonata (for additional protection and to put it on the potential hump) and puzzling over the 5yo's Radian outboard. They fit very well this way, better even IME than 2 FF Radians side by side (since the RN/MA don't compete for shoulder space like the Radians do). Then the baby's infant seat can go on the other side outboard.

In the other vehicle you would have a two RF Radians and a combo seat or booster. Does that vehicle have lap/shoulder belt in the center? If so, put the booster in the center between the 2 RF Radians for added protection (DD can climb under/over the Radians to get out). Unless 2nd vehicle has a 3rd row, then never mind!