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In this article we will tell a story of the kind that André “Bubu” Bullinger loved—one with a beginning, a middle, and an end. The story begins with a baby born too early and thrust into a world ill-suited to its needs and unique characteristics. We will discuss the organization of the sensory world of such babies, and especially their difficulty in coping with the overstimulation and dystimulation typical of intensive care units. We will then present findings on the short- and long-term effects of pain in newborns and on the strategies used to manage perinatal pain. Our work with André Bullinger focused on newborns’ olfactory ability and learning capacity, and how these skills can be used to improve emotional regulation. We will conclude this scientific story with comments on André Bullinger’s principal contributions to our knowledge of early sensory-motor development. This story is also the story of our collaboration with André Bullinger, one of us as a post-doctoral fellow and the other as a PhD student—a collaboration that allowed us to explore experimental themes that aligned well with André’s clinical interests.