[Written by Sun-Sentinel staff writer Kathy Bushouse]

I’m becoming a stroller stalker.

Don’t be alarmed – this is all in the name of research. My husband and I are about three months away from the birth of our first child, and as my due date draws closer, I find myself with more questions than I could have ever imagined about products I’ve never cared about until now: Strollers, car seats, baby bouncers, baby carriers, bassinets, cribs, high chairs.

Now, every time I pass by parents, I always try to catch a glimpse of the name on the strollers they’re pushing. It’s been interesting to see what brands people buy, but I’m fairly certain I creeped out a couple at my Publix in Delray Beach over the weekend when I craned my neck to get a good look at their stroller’s manufacturer. (Sorry about the gawking, if you happen to be reading this. But nice Peg Perego)

My Friends With Kids have faced a barrage of baby questions from me – travel system or not? What the heck is a pack-and-play and why does it need sheets? Do I need a bouncer and a swing? Britax or Graco? Peg Perego or Maclaren?

Now if you’d mentioned Peg Perego a year ago, I’d have thought you were talking about some hip indie rock band from England, not a manufacturer of decent strollers with full reclining seats. But these days, all I think about is Peg Perego and which version of their lightweight stroller should make its way onto my registry.

I’m nervous about picking the wrong thing – and spending hundreds of bucks on something I can’t use. I’ve got the latest copy of Baby Bargains to help me narrow my choices, and already the book is dog-eared, its cover bent from overuse.

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