Last weekend felt like what we’d call a “London Summer,” with temperatures soaring to South-of-France levels. Chiara handled it like a champ, even though our flat can get pretty warm and the sudden heat caught us off guard.

It was also a great practice run for our upcoming trip to Greece. We tested sun cream and a hat for Chiara (though we totally forgot sunglasses… and she ended up with red eyes by the end of the day). For a late afternoon outing, we took her to Old Brompton Cemetery.

During the walk, Sabrina snapped this perfect shot of Chiara soaking in the outdoors—she was especially fascinated by the trees and squirrels. It’s funny how baby skin looks in the sunlight, so white and almost translucent… then again, considering how little outdoor exposure she’s had, that might actually be true!

Panasonic GF1 – 1/4000 sec at f/1.7, ISO 400 – Chiara in Old Brompton Cemetery, wearing her summer outdoor outfit, smiling at her dad, or at the tree behind her dad.

Chiara has grown so fast these past few weeks—some of her 6-month clothes are already too tight! So, we decided to go through her wardrobe to see if there were any not-yet-worn-but-already-too-small outfits. And guess what we found? One of Sabrina’s dresses from over 30 years ago!

We told her the story, and it totally made her day! … Well, not really. She’s smiling in the picture because we brought out a bunch of new toys today. Some of them make funny noises, and funny noises are her absolute favorite right now.

Anyway, we had a blast. Sure, most of the pictures are blurry (classic), but a few gems stood out—check them out below!

Panasonic GF1 – 1/500 sec at f/1.7, ISO 400 – Chiara wearing her mum Provencal dress and sitting using the very handy breastfeeding pillow. The picture was given an “aged” look in Lightroom to match the style of the outfit.

Here are a few more pictures, taken with the Panasonic GF1 and the 20mm pancake lens, which Sab has been using more and more lately. Sure, there are still plenty of rejects, but what matters is the few gems we manage to capture.

From top-left going clockwise: Chiara playing Superman (with a little help from Daddy), Chiara’s unique take on book reading—if it looks good, it must be tasted, Chiara trying to grab the magic giraffe (a small toy with a big impact), and Chiara smiling at a clown with funny eyes.

All those smiles in one day! Safe to say, she was pretty tired by the end of it.

Chiara’s almost 6 months old and gearing up to try solid food soon! To get her used to sitting at tables, we’ve been spending our Saturday and Sunday lunches at restaurants with friends. A few hours each time. It’s been a bit tough for her, though, watching everyone enjoy exciting stuff like dim sum or a British carvery while she’s stuck with just milk.

We’ve picked three pictures that pretty much sum up what she’s been doing all this time… since she can’t talk or eat yet!

Panasonic GF1 – 1/30 sec at f/1.7, ISO 400 – Everything laying on the table is very exciting – whether it is food or not. Most time we have to make some space to avoid a mess. In the Chinese restaurant we had a round table with a rotating tray which created a lot of interest as you  can see on this picture.

Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/40 sec at f/2.8, ISO 800 – Best place is always sitting on mummy’s, looking around while sucking toys of fingers. With such excitement, it has been impossible to put her to bed for the afternoon nap on Sunday, too much things to observe.

Canon EOS 5D Mk II – 1/60 sec at f/2.8, ISO 500 – First time ever in a high-chair for Chiara, this is very cool. She still doesn’t stand very comfortably and tend to slip at one point but after seeing all the older babies sitting there for hours, she was happy to get her share of the fun.