The last two months of pregnancy I had felt like a turtle that rolled over onto its back and could not for the life of me get back up. I suddenly felt Harpers pain, and I felt bad for all those times she got stuck on the couch and I laughed.

"Baby..." I call out from upstairs. "Haaaaarper" I shout a little more urgently.

I hear her come running, it's her second time today, and the fifteenth this week that she has thought something more urgent was occurring and ran haphazardly to reach me, narrowly missing furniture that's in her path.

"What" she calls out breathlessly, and a little panicked. She appears at the top of the stairs.

"Where are you" she asks, as she searches the bedroom.

"In the bath" I call back.

She comes through the door, her lips curl upward, most amused "are you stuck in the bath again"

I stick out my lip and nod as a tear rolls down my cheek. I hated being an invalid like this, and not being able to do things with my body that I wanted to do. I couldnt even lift myself out of this damn bath!

"Why did we get a bath that is so low in the floor" I asked, whilst holding back a sob "How did we think we would ever get out of it when we got old or infirm"

Harpers features all soften to an amused and yet empathetic gaze "oh Teddy... come here" she says, stepping across the bathroom and reaching down into the water for my hands "let me help you out of this funk, and this bath" she says lovingly, lifting me up.

The water all subsided as my body and bump finally leave the water. Harpers hands guide me out as she reaches for a towel and hands it to me "baby you look so cute" she says, cupping my cheeks and kissing my lips "you gotta stop crying... you are killing me.." she whispers.

I nod and begin to smile "I've been crying at the laundry detergent commercials today, and yesterday I cried when Wren offered me her last bite of cookie... I'm clearly hormonally fucked..."

"I remember this feeling, but it will pass, just stop getting in this bath without telling me..." she asks.

I nod against her shoulder as I lean in for a cuddle. "Come on, I will moisturise you within an inch of your life" she suggests lovingly.

I look up, excited at the thought "that's literally my version of let me sex you up at this point... and I will take it" I enthuse, wiggling my eyebrows playfully.

***
Teddy heavily pregnant, picture one of the cutest things you've ever seen and then add her to that list. She was quite literally living in sweat pants and sports bras when she was at home, and if we had to go out anywhere she threw on an oversized t shirt, or a cami that let the bump breath, with a warm cardigan over the top.

Teddy may look cute, but she was more like "don't feed after midnight" cute. Pregnancy had taken the usual subtle, Nomikos traits, that Teddy had, and amplified them.

I felt like I was finally seeing the Nomikos blood running pure, no filter and no holding back. Teddy's hormones had unleashed a very different version of Theodora, and actually, one day in the future when I looked at Olympia as a teenager, I would look back to Teddy in her last month of pregnancy and see Hormonal Olympia. I would wonder, if in actual fact, it was Olympias personality coming out in her mommy through the umbilical cord during those last months of pregnancy.

"Teddy, why is there a pizza box on the front door step with an entire pizza in it still" I ask, coming in from work.

I look to Wren and Teddy on the couch. Wren has taken to copying Teddy's outfits, and is sat beside her in comfy grey sweatpants and a white t shirt, just like her.

I shake my head at them both, they were eating out of a carton of ice cream, with a spoon each. "What am I witnessing here" I ask, and eventually they look my way and acknowledge me.

"Ice cream Mama" Wren explains.

"And the pizza on the doorstep" I ask.

Wren wrinkles up her nose in disgust "mommy didn't like it ...it was not good"

She takes a little breath, and shoves her spoon back into the ice cream.

"Teddy do you have anything to add" I ask her, eyebrows raised as she watches a football game on TV.

She turns back to me "no" she returns casually, looking back to the TV.

"Is the pizza expected to walk itself back to the pizza store, or would the trashcan have been a better spot to dump it" I ask, walking back to the door to retrieve it.

When I open the door there is a pizza boy there, picking it back up, with a sheepish look on his face.

"Hi, I'm so sorry your pizza was wrong. I brought a replacement like you suggested" he says a little nervously.

Teddy appears in the doorway beside me "you know, I could have walked to the store and back again, three times, plus gone into labour, and delivered this baby, in the time it's taken you to come back"

"I'm sorry" he apologised nervously.

I take the pizza box and hand it to Teddy "thank you would have sufficed" I suggest.

She narrows her eyes at him and disappears "I'm sorry" I say to him "apparently giving a heavily pregnant, hormonal woman, the wrong pizza, is now a mortal sin, and you must be punished by death"

I am amused at his inching away from the door "death stare" I correct "here take a tip" I offer, handing him ten dollars. He practically runs away.

"You did not tip him" Teddy asks, shaking her head disapprovingly from the breakfast bar, where her and Wren each have a slice of pizza, Wrens needing both of her hands to hold it.

"I did...you were a little rude" I say walking over, and running my hand affectionately over Wrens hair, whilst peeking into the box to retrieve myself a slice of pepperoni.

"Rude or brutally honest" she asks and she tilts her head and smiles "was I doing it again... did the devil slip from my lips... did I narrow my eyes?" She asks.

I can't help but smile back at her "if you weren't so cute, people would, I'm sure, be less forgiving" I suggest, and she takes a bite from the pizza.

"That's why the gods gave me dimples... to soften my blows" she says amused.

I look to Wren who is busily chewing on the corner of her pizza "how was your day" I ask.

She quickly chews on her mouthful until it's swallowed "went to park... got a dead people" she says.

My eyes widen, as I look to Teddy who is laughing "explain" I ask a little thrown.

"A Skeleton... we got a skeleton for the front yard, we stocked up on Halloween supplies, Wren filled the cart, it's the first one she will remember, so we went to town...didn't we little bit" Teddy says looking to her.

"lots" she agrees taking another bite.

"Where is it, I wanna see what you got" I ask.

Teddy points out the front window "it never made it out of the car, the trip to the store left me a little sore and a lot out of breath... honestly Harper as soon as this little basketball drops out of me, I'm going back to the gym. I've never felt so unfit. I will only have five months to get back to my peak fitness before the camp starts again, and you know they will be watching me like a hawk"

"I don't think we need to worry about that ... you will be fine. You are the most committed athlete I know when it comes to fitness"

"I'm the only athlete you know" she says with a raised accusing eyebrow.

"Exactly, and let me tell you, I have, and I will again, be studying every inch of your body, inch by inch, muscle by muscle. To really make sure you have bounced back... for supportive reasons of course" I tease, eyebrows raised and taking a bite of pizza whilst smiling.

"Reading between the lines, you are ready to work me out?" She asks, suggestively.

I nod "You read between the lines perfectly" I say playfully.

"Help" Wren asks, hands spread and covered in orange grease. I grab a serviette and clean her up, wiping her mouth too before placing her back on the floor.

"Cartoon mama" she asks.

I shake my head "it's too near bath time baby, just go play with your toys for a bit, and you can help me unload dead people from the car in a moment"

"Yes" she squeals running off "dead people" she adds enthusiastically.

Teddy can't help but laugh.

"We should probably correct her on that" I suggest.

"She starts preschool next year, so we probably should start thinking about the things we say... but if her teacher calls we will know what its about" Teddy muses as she cleans up "the dead people in our basement" she adds amused, her dramatic dismount from the stool making me smile.

"I love you" I remind her.

She turns and holds her hand out for me.

I walk into her arms, kept a bump length away from her "you know" I say kissing her lips briefly " I'm going to miss the bump but I will not miss how far away from you I now have to stand... I miss being pressed to you ..." I say kissing her again.

She cups my cheeks and looks into my eyes affectionately, hers twinkling under the lights above us "I remember that feeling when you were heavily pregnant with Wren. It made me think about all the ways I wanted to hold your waist, tightly, against mine... and it led me astray with inappropriate thoughts... far too many" she confesses.

I let out a small laugh, because I remembered that too "that's why New York was so intense... we had both thought about it for far too long" I reminisce.

She leans forward, capturing my lips, brushing them against mine, and slowly deepening the kiss as my mouth opened to hers. The warmth of her tongue softly runs over mine, the sensation of which makes a heat run down between my thighs, just as her finger tips grip my hips and squeeze me gently. I moan into her mouth, quite by surprise.

She pulls away smiling against my lips "Wow Harper... all it takes now is a French kiss to get you going" she remarks.

I shake my head pulling away "it's been months... I'm a little horny..." I return, as her fingers run up my sides, and stop at my waist.

"Have you forgotten your well stocked drawer" she asks amused.

"I'm not horny for anything in the drawer... it's a quick fix, I'm horny for my wife" I say wiggling my eyebrows.

She pulls me back for a more intense kiss, one she knows is going to set off a dozen small fires right across my body, small fires she would not be putting out. Pregnant Teddy was a tease.

***

The day of Olympias birth, it reads like a horror movie, not her birth, that was quite calm in itself, but the day, because Olympia came seven days early, on Halloween!

This Halloween in particular, it was the night of a horrible storm, it had all of the elements and hallmarks required for a good atmospheric horror movie. The storm was wild, wet, electrical, thunder so loud it made you jump and sounded as if the entire world was cracking in half. Olympia, in true Olympia fashion, decided this would be a perfect time to enter the world and scare us to death, even more so, the labour itself was quick, especially for a firs. Wr got to the hospital just as the heavens opened, and the rains came, rains that looked like they could carry you away as they ran down the street with gusto, like a raging river that burst its banks.

We had just spent the day having Wrens first Halloween, one that she would remember. I wondered later if she remembered it more for the Halloween part, and the copious amounts of candy, or because it was her last memory being alone, before her annoying little sister showed up and stole her thunder. Allie and Willa had set their house up a little too good, it looked insane, and later as the gales blew in and the skeletons got uprooted, we would all wish we had decorated a little less so, because let me tell you nothing is as terrifying as having a twelve foot skeleton come crashing into your window and staring back at you as you scream blue murder.

Honestly this was a night for the books, not only did our decor scare us to death, but it also made my waters break. I remember Harper and I looking to each other as the dripping sounded against the wooden floor, and we looked up thinking the rain was leaking through the roof, only to look down and see the source.

I looked back to her, eyes wide, and mouth agape "oh no" I whispered as we looked back to each other "I'm not going out in that" I say looking out of the window and past the glowing LED eyes of skeletore.

"I'm sure we won't have too... it's your first labour... you are bound to go super slow" Harper reasons.

I nod, and stupidly believe it, but not even twenty minutes later, I am sounding a little demonic and holding onto the kitchen side, bent over as contractions threaten to split me in half.

"We are here we are here" Willa calls as her and Allie battle to shut the door.

"But I'm not sure you should leave the house in that" Allie adds.

I look up and point to them "which one of you is a qualified midwife" I ask.

They both look to Harper "go go" they say "we will stay put with Wren"

Willa walks over and places her arm across my neck "you got this kid" she whispers and she kisses my cheek as she helps me to stand up and walk to the door.

Harper is there already, with her rain mac on and our hospital bag in hand. "Wren has slept through the storm so far mama, hopefully she won't wake"

Allie kisses her forehead "I will be thinking of you both" she whispers "I love you"

Willa sets me down in the car, battling to keep her hood up, the rain coming in sideways, which meant even though it wasn't heavy right now, you still got soaked.

She places my jacket on my lap and leans in and kisses my forehead "love you both" she says as I breathe through another contraction, my hands firmly holding the seat.

"Love you Willa" Harper returns, as she shuts the door.

We pull out slowly on the road, before taking the quickest route straight to the maternity ward, because this little wildling wasn't waiting for anyone.

The hospital is full of adults in various Halloween costumes, apparently there had been an accident at a party, and about thirty or so young adults were now in the entrance, all waiting to be seen for small cuts and burns.

"Pregnant woman coming through" Harper calls out panicked as we race through the crowd, me in a wheelchair but feeling more like a bowling ball coming through a crowd of skittles.

"Slow down" I beg.

She ignores me, skidding to a stop by the elevator and pressing the maternity level.

"Are you okay" she asks bending down and looking at me as if I may explode at any moment.

I pant through the next contraction, and she nods at my silence and pushes me into the elevator, pressing the button a million times out of frustration. "Come on you fucking thing" she screams as it fails to close, and as it is about to a man in a Michael Halloween outfit appears and puts his hand in between the sliding doors to stop it and get in.

Harper glares at him, in a look that would terrify the hardest of criminals, "don't you fucking dare take one more step" she threatens,  as she presses the button again, and he backs up, hands raised up in innocence, and the doors slowly shut.

***

"Okay Teddy,  it looks as if you are ten centimetres dilated.. oh boy" the Dr says, removing her hand and she turns and talks to the nurses "get the kit prepared, this little one is minutes away" she suggests and they go about bringing things over and placing things in easy reach, the bassinet is wheeled over.

"Baby Nomikos" the nurse reads out, as she fills out the little name chart on the end of it.

"Olympia" Harper adds as she holds my hand beside me.

The nurse smiles, and adds that to the chart. "Olympia Nomikos" she says out loud "she sounds very Greek" she muses.

Teddy and I nod.

Teddy was in the throws of the worst contractions, the Dr places her knees up higher.

"She is" I return "purposefully so, for her pappoús, her name is a tribute to him" she adds.

"I love that" the nurse says handing the dr more supplies.

"Okay Teddy, this little girl is right there..." she says reaching between her legs.

Teddy bares down, eyes closed, her teeth clamping down on her bottom lip as she tries not to scream, and then she lets out a large breath and the Dr looks up to her encouragingly "that's it... I can see dark hair... and one more big one Teddy.. use that next contraction, and let's see if we can get her out to say happy Halloween" she suggests, as the lights above our head flicker.

Harper looks to me as a thunderous roar can be heard outside the window, the wind whistling through the sides of the building, before a deafening crack is heard.

The nurse looks out the window "oh god the tree just went down" she whispers, trying not to be heard.

I look to Harper, a little panicked, and she kisses my brow and tightens her hold of my hand "just concentrate on Olympia" she says in a calming tone.

I focus on her warm gaze, but the lights go out as my contraction returns and I push, the room is in darkness, it's only seconds "the generator will kick in...nobody panic" the Dr says.

A darkness fills the room, the thunder roars, Rain hits the window with fury, and the wind hauntingly howls through the gaps in the window, a little cry cut through it all, the Dr let's out a sound of surprise "hi there" she says.

Harper and I look down as the lights flick back on, seconds it was, but Olympia decided her entry would be as memorable as possible, and it surely would be, as our Dr never forgot it either, baby Olympia, who arrived into her arms in the darkness, one Halloween night.

Harper kisses my forehead repeatedly "you did it Ted you did it" she whispers against my skin as we both look to Olympia for the first time, the Dr holding her up as our lips rose with joy.

"she's perfect" Harper whispers as she's placed on my chest.

I lean down and place a kiss on her little forehead as she begins to whimper a little, her little lips almost purple from the delivery, they tremble in angry little cries.

"Hi Olympia... we are your mommies" I say as Harper leans down and kisses her, both of our hands on her little back.

"I love you so much" Harper whispers as she brushes my hair from my cheek.

I reach up and bring her down to my lips, kissing her softly "we did it again" I smile looking back to the little pink hand against my chest, balled up and wrinkly.

"We did" Harper agrees, resting her head beside Olympias and gazing at her lovingly as she opened her eyes and took her in too "Hi Olympia ... I'm your mama" she whispers stroking her little cheek with one finger tip.

"She's so small" I say looking at her little body curled against me "you forget how small they are when they arrive"

"I know I can't wait to find out what she weighs compared to Wren, she looks bigger" Harper observes.

I nod "she does doesn't she"

"Oh Teddy you can tell she's a Nomikos" Harper says gazing at her with a permanent smile. "Look at that dark hair... and if I'm not mistaken" Harper says before pausing, she runs her finger back down Olympias cheek.

Olympia screws up her little face in response, and starts to root for a nipple as she senses the finger beside her mouth. "She is a dimple popper...just like mommy" Harper observes quietly, and I look down.

"You can tell already?" I ask surprised.

The nurse comes back over and looks "oh yes I see them" she says with a large wide smile "some babies have them from the off, if they inherited those gorgeous deep ones... they don't require a giggle or a smile to appear, they are most permanent aren't they" she says looking to me "and as I can see, her mommy is the same" she says sweetly, placing a hat on Olympias little head with a bow on.

***
Olympia Maria Nomikos
10/31
11.05 p.m
9lbs 4oz

Our little wildling joining us on Halloween, it meant we had two holiday babies, two very different holidays, but that didn't translate in their personalities, because both of our first two girls were a little wild. I do think though, as the second born, Olympia took it and ran with it, as second borns tend to go, she was the one to watch, and boy did we have to have eyes in the back of our heads.

[There should be a GIF or video here. Update the app now to see it.]