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Settling In

Almost a month old, Olivier is now officially a British citizen, and we’re finally settling into our new home! After weeks of much-needed help from the grandparents, the mountain of boxes is slowly shrinking.

Olivier is still eating and sleeping well (in baby terms, of course—meaning we’re still up every three hours at night). Meanwhile, we’re operating on minimal sleep and plenty of caffeine.

The photo backlog is growing fast, but here are a few highlights from the past four weeks—enjoy! 📦👶📸

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Canon EOS 5D MkII – EF 50mm– f/2.5, ISO 3200 – A baby wrapped into a towel picture is a classic – facing the window, in a white towel. Olivier did not like his first bath, so here just after he looks more relaxed.

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Canon EOS 5D MkII – EF 50mm– f/2.8, ISO 2000 – Chiara is absolutely adorable with her little brother (who she now call “my little brother”. Here she is doing the Barthez kiss – a sign ? Also note if you are interested out new kitchen in the background.

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Canon EOS 5D MkII – EF 50mm– f/2.2, ISO 1000 – In this room, bonding with Sab. He has got the best decorated room of the house … but not sleeping in it yet, so it’s probably the largest changing room in the neighbourhood at this stage.

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Welcome Olivier !

This blog started on December 12, 2009, just after Chiara’s birth, with our very first post. Now, we’re excited to introduce the newest member of the family—Olivier Loïc Gea! Born on January 25, 2012, at around 3 PM at Queen Charlotte’s Hospital in Hammersmith, he weighed 3.3kg. Like his sister, he arrived fashionably late by about a week. He’s absolutely adorable, takes after his dad, eats well, sleeps (mostly) well, and lets us know loud and clear when he’s hungry. For now, he seems calm… though we might just be optimistic!

As the second child, Olivier has his pros and cons. On the bright side, our photography skills (and gear!) have come a long way since Chiara. The downside? He might end up with fewer photos than his sister—so we’ll make sure every shot counts!

The past few weeks have been hectic, with house renovations, a move, and Olivier’s arrival all at once. But now that things are settling down, we’re ready to get back to posting. Fun fact—this also marks the 100th post on the blog! Over the past two years, we’ve averaged more than 150 unique visits a month. It may be small by web standards, but knowing that family and friends stop by regularly means the world to us. Thank you! 🎉👶❤️

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Canon EOS 5D MkII – EF 50mm– f/2, ISO 1250 – 19th January and Olivier is already almost a week late, so Chiara is wondering if she will ever see what is inside this tummy.

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Canon EOS 5D MkII – EF 50mm– f/2.5, ISO 2500 – A few hours before the birth, Sab is doing “iPhone therapy” to manage the contractions.

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Canon EOS 5D MkII – EF 100mm– f/2.8, ISO 2000 – Less than an hour after birth, small Olivier is already hungry. 

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Canon EOS 5D MkII – EF 100mm– f/2.8, ISO 2000 – Most of the other pictures we have around that time show more breast than Olivier so unfortunately are not fit for publishing.

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Canon EOS 5D MkII – EF 100mm– f/2.8, ISO 2000 – Father and son early bonding. I look very tired, even in black and white, not sure because I didn’t do much for the delivery of the baby.

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Canon EOS 5D MkII – EF 100mm– f/2.8, ISO 2000 – Chiara first visit to hospital to meet Olivier. She is in bed playing with Gruffalo offered by her brother.

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Risky Kids Pictures

Chiara had the time of her life on holiday! She loved every minute and was a joy to travel with. No complaints about long car rides, chilly weather, or even the food (well, maybe just a little about the food). Holidays are for everyone, so we gave her a bit of extra freedom—though some of it might not qualify for the “Perfect Parents Guidebook.” 😉

Before you dive into the pictures, don’t worry—no one got hurt, and Chiara happily joined in on all the activities (whether her parents knew about them at the time is another story).

Enjoy this peek into toddler rebellion at its finest! 😄📸

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Posing from high location – It makes nice pictures to pose from the top of a barrier or a tree, but it’s not a good idea, she could get hurt. How did she get there ?

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Getting close to big animals – Chiara loves dogs, but it’s amazing how close she gets form them. I would certainly not come close to a dog as tall as me, ever. Who let her getting that close ?

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Walking close to geysers – Geysers are hot and dangerous, so spending time decrypting a sign when a geyser may be close to explode is not a good idea. Who is watching her ? (before asking, no she cannot read yet)

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Climbing unsecured – Even when we do wall climbing, we are usually secured with a rope. I have to admit she has skills and a good position but not a good idea. Who let her climb few meters on her own ?

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Flying – This is a usually dangerous, at any age. How did she get up there ?

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Drinking like Americans – Getting down 1 Liter of coke is pretty serious stuff for any non-american, so it’s pretty much mission impossible when you are skinny and weight about the same as a pack of 6 bottles. Who let her grab the glass of coke ? (hint, see the blurry face at the back smiling)