Today I’m three weeks old! Even though this is a considerable milestone, there’s only one place to start. Today was mainly notable for the fact that I received my first letter from officialdom: not a card from a friend, a present from a relative or anything as pleasant, rather a letter, with a typed address, addressed to me personally.

Dad opened it: despite my exceptionally well developed literary skills, I’m not yet able to use my opposable thumbs to such productive ends. What he found was, to say the least, surprising: it was a letter from the Finanzamt, the federal finance office, informing me that I’d been allocated a reference number for income tax purposes, valid for one lifetime. What kind of country have I been born in, where they send babies such letters before they’re old enough to, well, old enough to do anything except feed, poo, cry and write diaries? I hope they don’t send another letter soon asking if I’m looking for work!

Opa Hannes sent a photo of the lovely swimsuit he bought me today; Mum and Dad phoned to thank him. He explained it was his idea to do it: when he was a new father Dads didn’t get as involved as they do now in the child’s development (some still don’t, of course!), so when he heard Dad and I were planning to do this together he wanted to get involved in some way, and what a lovely way too: the swimsuit’s so sweet!