It’s become very clear over the last couple of days that life truly is more complicated with a baby.  We’ve made some small “excursions” with him, like going out to eat or taking a walk in the park.  Yesterday, however, was just the beginning of new experiences for all of us.  Kristen went grocery shopping with him and then picked me up so we could go to the DMV to title our car (so it could be shipped to Colombia).  I had gone last Saturday morning to attempt to title it, but even though I got there 15 minutes after it opened, there were already 175 people in the waiting area.  For what I was wanting to do, they were on #4, and I was #39.  After an hour, they had only move 8 spots!  Needless to say, I left.  Which brings us back to yesterday.  Thankfully they were much faster and we were out of there in less than an hour.  Later that night, we got organized enough to go to small group for the first time since he was born.  He cried almost all the way there, but was very peaceful once we arrived.

But that was all preparation for today.  We went to the main State Department building to get his passport and visa photos taken and then to apply for his passports.  Kristen and Jack met me at my training site and we got to show him off to a few people.  We then caught the shuttle to “Main State” where Kristen and Jack had to wait outside while I went to an adjacent building to get some papers.  Afterwards, we walked around (in the hot summer heat) to the visitor’s entrance and proceeded to get his pictures taken.  Amazingly, we only needed two tries before we got an acceptable picture.  Kristen actually had to hold him up in the air so she wouldn’t be in the photo.  We then headed to another part of the building to apply for his tourist and diplomatic passports.  While I waited in line, Kristen gave Jackson a bottle.

We had arranged lunch with my mentor but Jackson needed his diaper changed.  So I went into the men’s restroom, hoping for a changing table.  Unfortunately, State hasn’t become that daddy friendly, so I had to wipe down the sink counter, lay down a changing mat, and proceed to change his diaper before he rolled into one of the sink basins.  Meanwhile, men are asking me questions about him while I’m trying not to get my suit dirty.  Turns out, Kristen told me afterwards that the women’s restroom had a changing table!

After lunch, we tromped back around (outside) to the shuttle, headed to the training site, and drove home.  We all collapsed in our apartment, with the A/C running!  Like I said, everything’s more complicated!  Jackson, however, was a champ and except for letting us know he was hungry, was very diplomatic about the whole situation.