Today at 04:20 AM, Paris time, was born my first daughter Eloïse! How to describe the overwhelming flow of feelings that got through me? Joy, responsibility, apprehension, resolution, expectation, love! Try just two words: absolute happiness. You don't even remotely know what it is till you live it.

The baby and her mother Sophie are fine. I'm still shaking! I learnt you can grin and cry at the same time.

Eloïse - pronounced elo-eese, sometimes spelt Heloïse - is a French name coming from the Germanic words hold (glory) and wig (fight). The same roots also gave male names Ludovic, Ludwig, Louis, Lewis. Welcome to the world, my beloved little glorious fighter!