Grooving and Moving With Hip-High Hipsters

For kids, there are unlimited, free boxes of organic juice, crackers, pretzels and other finger snacks offered at a knee-level buffet table.

The dance floor has hula hoops, scarves, maracas and streams of bubbles. There are face painters, balloon animals, glittery nail polish stations and temporary-tattoo artists.

Yesterday, in an upstairs room decorated to look like blood was dripping from the walls (Rock and Roll Hotel decor, not Baby Loves Disco), there was a diaper-changing station near the photo of infamous Sex Pistols couple Sid and Nancy. Another chill-out room had colorful carpets, books, wooden toys and comfortable couches that have certainly seen plenty of action but were home to rows of breast-feeding moms yesterday afternoon.

The hallway had fliers from old concerts, most featuring '80s punk bands -- Sonic Youth, Black Flag, Black Market Baby, G.B.H. (remember their "City Baby's Revenge" album?).

"Well, I can say it looks a lot different in the daylight," said Yvonne Neal, 34, who surveyed the well-lit club and cringed at her hazy memories of other nightclub encounters. She was hanging with her 5-year-old, Kara. "It's really fun now to watch her dance with other kids."

Yes, of course. Dancing and socializing and fun.

But for many parents, the beauty of Baby Loves Disco is summed up in one phrase: Bar's open.

Tim Wynne took a long pull on his rum and Coke. He was glad that he could buy a drink. He was, after all, huffing on the dance floor, his 11-day-old son, Henry, strapped to his chest in a Baby Bjorn and his wild 2-year-old, A.J., wiggling across the room.

His wife, Becky, was delighted to get back into a nightclub so soon after childbirth.

"When you become a parent, you suddenly stop being this person you've been all these years, and that part is hard," she said.

The magic of the place was also clear for Dan and Barb Scheeler, who were both drinking pints of Guinness while their boys, 3 and 5, waited for balloon animals.

"That balance of something for kids and something for grown-ups is so important and hard to find," said Dan Scheeler, who has taken the family from Alexandria to H Street twice this year for Baby Loves Disco.

On the dance floor, DJ Adolph Brown took the crowd through the '80s. The dads lifted Coronas in the air. Some hollered when the Pet Shop Boys began singing. They spun their little dates around, singing to their West End Girls.

For some of the younger set, this was a chance to practice their moves with the ladies. David, 18 months, eyed an older woman: Lilah, 2. She was the quirky type, one leg warmer, a pink tutu, blond ringlets and a killer smile. He took a big pull off his juice box and wobbled up to her, a typical nightclub move. He attacked with fervor, giving her a giant, sloppy hug.

His mom, Sharon Boesen, dived in and pried him off her. "A little more gentle next time, David," she said.

Baby Loves Disco welcomes kids up to 7 years old. David will have plenty of time to hone his pickup line.