Mr. Jax Goes to Washington

Since our last trip went so well, we decided we were brave enough(or maybe just foolish enough) to take another trip. Jasper had some work to do in Washington D.C. and since that is such an easy trip to make, Jax and I decided to tag along and make a family trip out of it. Jasper's best friend lives in Baltimore and so we also visited them while in the area. We flew into BWI and the first flight was pretty uneventful. Jax is getting to be a pro at this flying business. I snapped this picture with my iphone during the flight.



We had such a great visit with John and Laura and their adorable boy Jack. He is 10 months older than Jax and we know they are going to be great friends. I can't wait for them to move back to Louisville someday and I am already planning lots and lots of play dates.



I didn't take many pictures during this part of the trip and we spent most of our time just hanging out and catching up. It can get pretty hectic in a house with a walking 13 month old and a 4 month old, but we had a fantastic time. We did snap this picture of Jax when we all went for a walk to the park. Jax, as usual, was sound asleep soon after the walk began.







After two nights in Baltimore, we rented a car and headed into D.C. We actually stayed at the Marriott on Georgetown's campus in their conference center. Jasper LOVED showing Jax around his alma mater and I loved being in Georgetown and in walking distance of lots of fun shops and restaurants. Soon after we arrived we took Jax on his first tour of the campus.



The front lawn was so pretty and since classes hadn't started back yet we had it mostly to ourselves.





The next day there were many students on campus and it seemed like they were getting ready for new students orientation. By the time we left students had begun to move in. I think the nostalgia was in overdrive for Jasper. He loved being a student at Georgetown and it is such an amazing school. Who knows, maybe Jax will be a Hoya in 2029!



Jasper had to work Monday in D.C. but we did make time for one sightseeing adventure. We went to get a tour of the House floor. Jasper's father Mike was a member of Congress and we thought it would be cool to take Jax to the floor. In Jasper's parents house there is a picture that was in the New York Times of Mike, Jasper and his brother Kevin in their seats on the floor when Mike was getting sworn in. When we went onto the House floor we were able to find those same seats and take Jax which was really nice. He might not have fully appreciated it yet but we did and I am sure we will take Jax again when he is older. Unfortunately they have a very strict "no pictures" policy so we don't have a picture. I wasn't even allowed to take my diaper bag in!



We did snap a couple of pictures on our way back. The staffer that took us to the floor, from Congressman Yarmuth's office, took this one of us in the old House Chambers.



Jax was a pretty good sport the entire time we were there. He was tired by the end.

We walked underground and I thought it was cool that you could look up and see that you were walking underneath the capitol.



As we left the building with Yarmuth's office, this was the view of the capitol. It was a BEAUTIFUL day.



After we got back to the hotel, Jax took a quick nap while Jasper headed out to do some work. After Jax woke up we did a little walking around Georgetown. This place is one of my favorite stops in Georgetown. I enjoyed watching the show on TLC as well. Since I am still losing the baby weight I somehow managed to not stop in and grab a cupcake. It was tempting!





Our second night in D.C. we had dinner with two of Jasper's friends from college who live in the area, Jason and Aaron. We went to eat at The Tombs which is a bar/restaurant that is very popular with the college crowd but wasn't that crowded since school hadn't started back yet. Afterward we walked on campus. These pictures were taken on the roof of one of the student housing buildings. I loved that you could see the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and the Pentagon from the roof top.



This picture cracks me up because it sums up what most of the night was, Aaron telling funny stories and Jax fascinated by this crazy man!

Family picture time.

On the final day we ate lunch at the Esplanade which is a rooftop garden area on campus. You can tell Jax was not happy that our trip was coming to an end. We got off the roof just in time though because a few minutes after we got down...





There was an Earthquake! Crazy stuff. We were in the hotel lobby changing Jax's diaper before heading out to drive to the airport when the building shook and the power blinked off. It didn't last very long and then we looked at each other and said "was that an earthquake?" Everyone started heading outside so Jax and I followed. Jasper decided that he should just hurry to the garage and get our car so we could head out. Probably not the safest decision, but luckily everything was fine and we were glad to get out before traffic got any worse than it was.



While waiting for Jasper and the car I took this picture of the lot outside the hotel. The conference center is right next tot he hospital on campus and everyone was evacuated. It is no wonder the cellphone lines were jammed, everyone was on their cell!







The earthquake was more of a hassle than it was scary. It made for very heavy traffic heading to the airport. Once we were there though it was an easy flight home as Jax slept from gate to gate. We think he is so good on trips so we will continue to take them. We had a fantastic time in D.C. and are looking forward to taking Jax back several more times as he gets older.