They arrived a day or so before the official Due Date, with the plan that they would perhaps have a week seeing the Island, before the baby would arrive, and then they'd be there to settle everyone in.
Of course, things did not end up that way, but it therefore meant that they got a surprise extended holiday experience looking around the Isle of Man.
It was great fun, even if it didn't start so well, with my having forgotten to turn off my lights and so killing my batteries. Without enough room in one car, it meant that everyone was rather kicking their heels at Peel, but at least the sea was a novelty, and it gave us a chance for our last Pregnant Cori photoshoot (which we'd not really done, even though we did one a week with Finn!):
After that, things got a bit more conventional, with a fine run through some of the top Manx holiday sites...
Cregneash / Meayll Hill / Sound (with Jaimie feeling unfortunately ill, despite seal-spotting at the Sound & Finn & Orry' re-enactment of a neolithic burial in their new 'Ohio' shirts):
Trains (absolutely Josie's favourite thing, in life let alone on her trip, regardless of the rain!):
Castle Rushen & Peel Castle:
Peel beach (which the American (adult) visitors found rather too cold for their taste!):
Museums like the House of Manannan & the Manx Museum:
The Laxey Wheel (even in the rain!):
I took a week off to tourist about with everyone, before going back to work, with the intention of not taking any time off again until the start of my paternity leave on the day they left (besides the day of the birth etc.). However, a day or so of this was actually taken up by a trip to the hospital with Finn.
He had to go in to clear out his guts, which meant 24 hours there, circling close to the toilet. It sounded horrible to all of us, but Finn was very excited about it all. As it turned out it was a combination of both: a lovely time with toys and DVD's, with a few miserable hours towards the end of the day on the loo almost constantly. But he was very brave and survived it wonderfully, and got rewarded with a cream bun at home at the end:
It was while I was in hospital with Finn that everyone else did stuff that Finn wouldn't care too much about missing out on. Like the home of rest for old horses, the Wildlife Park and Silverdale Glen (which I did not tell Finn he was missing out on!):
Since then, Finn has had to take a drink-medicine daily to ensure he remains all-cleared-out. He's taken it on-board without complaint. He is very mature about some things like this, and so he's started being 'healthy' in his food habits; asking what the healthier choices for him to take are, for instance transferring to brown, rather than white bread, or introducing lettuce to his sandwiches etc. We're very proud of him:
Once all this (and much more besides!) had been achieved, time was running thin for their time here with the baby. But, as described before, at last Oshin arrived, with much relief and excitement from everyone left behind in the home as we were in the hospital.
In the days between birth and returning home, on Grandma's day with Cori and Oshin in the hospital, it was Peel Carnival. This was the first which we have seen, and it was rather brilliant, with parades, crowds, bouncy castles, vintage cars etc. (and, at last!, somewhere to buy non-TT Manx T-shirts!) - it was just a shame that Oshin wasn't home to be seeing it!
It was at the bouncy castles that we bumped into a friend who was due days later than Cori. She was still to have her baby and was very interested to hear about Oshin's delivery etc. She was, however, not so happy to have heard our name choice - it meant that they had to go back to their list again, to work out what their second-choice was now that 'Oshin' was taken! - I apologised!
The day after that was Oshin's return, warding in a day or so of lots of doting on Oshin and allowing space for Cori to find some rest, but in the evening, on their last evening on the Isle of Man, Cori had the nice idea of getting take-away food and going down to Niarbyl. Which was lovely (and inspiring for Cori's lovely-but-a-bit-odd Baby-Washed-Up-By-The-Sea photoshoot!):
In the morning it was the sad farewell at the airport. Amidst the sadness of parting, it was so sad to realise that they had been a part of Oshin's journey into the world, but that they were now going to be so distant (geographically, at least) from Oshin's journey from now on. It seemed so unfair, on them and on Oshin. But, regardless, it was lovely that they could be a part of this important part in his and our lives, and we're sure that Oshin will get a chance to see lots of them in the future, whether in America or on the Isle of Man again.
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