First Things

Babies. They come off all sweet and squeezable, sure, but you never know who's a terrorist.

One might be prone to such sarcasm when, say, waiting in line to apply for an infant's first time passport at midday at an understaffed New York City post office.

Relatively new rules dictate that all US citizens, infants included, need a passport to enter and leave the country. However, first-time passport applications are not accepted by mail. You need to go to the p.o. or some other passport acceptance facility and apply in person. Both parents (or legal guardian) must be present, and baby must be present, too. If only one parent is present s/he must provide a notarized consent statement signed by the absent parent or guardian. If you're the sole parent, you must bring proof.

It's sort of a pain, but the baby passport is so damn cute! Makes it all worth while.

If you're planning to travel abroad within two weeks, or needing a foreign visa, you can visit one of 14 regional passport centers. They run by appointment only - (877) 487-2778.