Maggie Moo and Bumble Bea

Back when the little girls were still very little, one of their NICU nurses put signs on their cribs with illustrated nicknames of Bumble Bea and Maggie Moo. This Halloween, those nicknames inspired costumes worn up and down our street, netting quite a haul of candy that their parents -- taking one for the team -- dutifully ate. The photo of Maggie hugging Bea on the arm of the couch was a few days earlier, Bea's face showing both glee and the marks of a recent tumble.

It has been a season of colds, which typically haunt Maggie with a runny nose for a couple of days while heading straight to Bea's chest and staying for more than a week. And so it was that Halloween sniffles turned into some very labored breathing during the (sleepless) night, enough to warrant a trip to the doctor's office which then turned into a four-day stay in the hospital complete with supplemental oxygen, steroids and nebulizer treatments. The world's sweetest dog came by the ward on Day 3 of Bea's stay, curling up at the foot of her crib for a snooze, much to Bea's delight.

By the time Bea was released from the hospital, the weekend was just around the corner. After getting a clean bill of health in a follow-up visit, Bea celebrated her new-found freedom with a trip to the National Arboretum on a glorious fall Saturday. As of press time, both girls have the next round of colds, but so far (knock on wood) no hospital stays!