I spent most of the past week in Sterling, Virginia, at the USSSA National Championships for my 15-year-old daughter’s softball team. We had our car packed to the roof with softball gear and suitcases, and we lugged equipment around from field to field for days.

While we were there, one of the parents, recently remarried and in his 40s, announced they were expecting a new baby boy. Congratulations to them!

It got me thinking about what it would be like to have a baby now. How on Earth would we fit all the baby gear in the vehicle? I remember when my daughter was an infant, a simple weekend trip to visit the grandparents required a car full of things we could not possibly go without for even a few days. We were not brave enough to travel anywhere that required a flight until she was off bottles and out of diapers!

But when we were at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya on our last trip, I had the pleasure of going on a tour of the hotel, and I was shown a room equipped for a family with an infant. They had everything a new parent could possibly need: diapers, bottles, bottle warmer, bibs, a high chair, bouncy chair, stroller and even a baby bath tub with baby shampoos and soft towels and washcloths! They also have a baby concierge to help parents during their stay.

I know if I were the one expecting a baby now, things would be different — I would book a trip at the Grand Velas and not worry about a thing!

— Tracey Cullen, art director