On Christmas Eve we found out that our daughter-in-law is pregnant. To say we were cautiously thrilled is an understatement.

Greg and Carrie have been married since 2002 and now the time is right for them. We all took a vow of secrecy promising not to say anything until she was safely past the risky first trimester. With a due date in late August, the exciting news is now out.

We pray for a healthy baby because ultimately that is all that matters. With a daughter who works at the Stollery children’s Hospital Foundation we have a new appreciation for the pain and sorrow families endure when something goes wrong. Our prayers for that grandchild will continue forever just as they do for our own children.

In the meantime, we now have a reason to go into the baby department at the store. We have a reason to oooh and aaah over the cute and tiny things. We also have a reason to gasp over prices. Having had two kids seven years apart (and with all the baby stuff sold after the first one) I know that a baby raised with second-hand stuff turns out quite alright.

Did we really need a corduroy Snugli for Greg that cost 40-some dollars and was used twice? I know we didn’t need a change table. And baby monitors hadn’t been invented yet. We did have an Umbroller type stroller for trips into the city because of the ease of folding it. It was a no-frills unit and cost 17 dollars. The 2009 version is souped-up a bit and costs a hundred and fifty dollars. Real strollers can cost several hundred.

There is no shortage of gadgets, equipment, and devices to make baby’s and parents? lives easier. Do I think It’s all necessary? Not at all. The little bouncer chairs have a port to plug in your iPod. Fisher-Price has a Rainforest crib attachment that plays 18 minutes of classical music, lullabies, and rainforest sounds for only 45 dollars.

For 55 dollars you can get Graco’s parental heart listener gift set to ?hear, record and email your unborn baby’s heartbeat, kicks and hiccups or record your own heartbeat and play it to your newborn.? The kit includes pre- and postnatal classical CD, microphone, speakers, two headsets, recording cable, and maternity belt. That seems a bit far out to me, but no doubt they sell.

I just can’t help but think about those parents who don’t even bother quitting smoking, drinking, and drugs before the birth of a child or make all kinds of wrong-headed parenting decisions after the fact. Some children get a disadvantaged start right from the DNA level and others get rainforest sounds and mother’s heartbeat. I’m trusting our kids to make the right decisions about where to save and where to splurge.

In the meantime, the John Deere wagon with side rails and inflatable rubber tires is on their wish list from us. One hundred and twenty dollars for our first grandkid is nothing, from where I sit.