... Lisa, Dan, and Lua: Mom's Visit

Lua and I had a great time last week, when my Mom came to visit for my birthday. She stayed from Sunday until Saturday, which was the perfect length of time. She got to know Santa Cruz, reconnected with Lua, and even babysat for us, allowing Dan and I to go on our first date in.... forever.

It really was a great visit. We took Lua to the aquarium, went on a whale-watching tour, walked in the redwoods, and visited the tidepools. It was also just fun to watch Lua interact with Mom. It's crazy to realize how much Lua has grown since we left Pennsylvania two months ago. She's gone from being a sweet, rather sleepy newborn, to being an active, participatory, and attentive little infant. She's also gotten very noisy, a change that was so gradual, I was almost fooled into believing that she'd always been that way.

The following are pictures of my Mom's visit. There aren't any pictures of Dan-- sorry! He had to work all week, but he did enjoy spending time with us in the evenings.

P.S. There aren't any pictures of my birthday dinner, either. All four of us went out to eat, but Lua cried the whole time. Since she was always screaming, one of us always had to be away from the table, holding her. It wasn't an especially photogenic occasion! I didn't mind, though. I was pretty grateful to have my mom, baby, and husband all together and with me on that day.

Mom and Lua

Look at that face!

Haha. Clothes are some of her favorite toys.

At the aquarium. This time, Lua actually looked at things and followed animals with her eyes.

She seemed to like the jellyfish and the penguins.

After a while, though, she tired out and reverted to thumb-sucking.

Mom on the whale watching boat

A humpback whale

A killer whale. This pod was so close to the boat that I could barely get a picture of them!

A killer whale! These were the only killer whales seen in the bay in the past month.

Proof that it actually is a killer whale. Blurry, but wholly acceptable as evidence.

Killer whale fin, trailing the boat

Feeding Lua on the boat. Yes, she is wearing a life preserver. Those were the rules.

Big moon over the Bay

Lua and I are thrilled about this giant redwood cookie at Henry Cowell State Park

Mom and a cluster of redwood trees

Mom and Lua on a hike

Inside a redwood, looking out

At Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park

On the cliffs at Wilder Ranch

With Lua at Wilder Ranch. On sunny days from the hours of 10 until 2,
Lua disappears and is replaced by a giant, floating pink hat.

The sea cliffs at Wilder Ranch State Park

Our cute little hiker

With Mom at Wilder Ranch

Though Lua was fussy through most of the hike (through pristine coastal scenery), she really seemed to enjoy
getting changed on the concrete bathroom floor. It's safe to say that this was her favorite part of the day.