Calvin and Hobbes is my all-time favorite comic strip, and I still count The Complete Calvin and Hobbes to be one of the best presents J has ever gifted me. I seriously can’t wait until our children are old enough to start enjoying these comics!

If you are also a fan of C&H, you are probably well-aware of Calvin’s creative (and oftentimes morbid) imagination being played out in the form of snowmen. Fans all over the U.S. re-create Calvin’s snowmen each winter, with snow sculptures, props, and productions becoming more and more elaborate with every snowstorm.

This Halloween, Elle of The Erratic Project Junkie has decided to mesh Calvin’s snowmen with this October holiday to create a pumpkin version of the winter meme. The results couldn’t have turned out better — wouldn’t you agree?

Via Reddit.

Psst! I’m guest blogging over at She Likes Ruffles, He Likes Truffles today! Head on over and say hi! And be sure to check out rest of Katie’s blog, which is always filled with great anecdotes and eye candy in the way of food, fashion, and life in sunny Florida!

Happy Halloween, everyone! Seeing as I’m about to pop out a baby any second, we are not doing anything to celebrate this year. (We don’t even get any trick-or-treaters here!) To compensate, here’s a picture of Claire in her Princess Leia costume, taken 4 months ago:

Speaking of Claire, she has been acting differently for the past few days. While she has been a very good sleeper since she was about 7 months old, she has started to fight every nap and bedtime tooth and nail. She has started to wake up at least once a night and the only way we can get her to go back to sleep is by J cuddling with her in the rocker. (We have not seen this behavior since before we sleep-trained at 5 months.) She normally loves bathtime, but she has also started to cry every time we start the bath — and will usually continue to cry and resist through the bath — because she knows that baths are part of her bedtime routine.

Her ear infection cleared up within just a couple of days, and so did the rash, so we’re really not sure what is prompting the change in behavior. We’ve made a possible list of causes:

• We had coddled her quite a bit while she was sick — did she get used to this treatment and now expects it?
• She is going through a growth spurt. Contrary to what I had believed prior to becoming a mom, babies do not grow gradually but in spurts, and some of them can be quite painful on their bodies.
• She knows that a big change is coming and is acting out as a result.

Can anyone think of any other possible explanations for her sudden change in sleeping habits?

Our 12-month checkup, which has been delayed an entire month, is later today so we will definitely be bringing this up to the pediatrician.

In BebeDeux news, I think I have started to have some minor contractions today. I know that it may still be a while before I go into full labor, so I am not too worried…just very, very uncomfortable because they feel like period cramps!

BebeDeux has also been moving a lot less today, and I have been pooping like crazy — sorry if TMI —which are both signs of impending labor, so D-Day (“D” for delivery) may be very near! So if you haven’t entered the baby pool yet, today may be the time to do it!

The BebeDeux Baby Pool is now closed. Congratulations to Kristin, who guessed 11/1/11, 9:00am, 6lb 3oz, 19.5″!

Tick, tock, tick, tock, the time is near! With just a few days left until my due date, I thought it would be fun to create a baby pool.

The best part? The winner — or the person whose guesses come closest to the actual date, time, weight, and length — will win a $60 gift certificate to Artisanal Premium Cheese! (Certificate expires 11/29/2011.) They are located in Manhattan, but offer overnight delivery within the United States. And you can read some great reviews about their cheeses and services via my friend Serena’s blog at Big Apple Nosh.

Entering the baby pool is easy: simply fill out the Google Docs form below!

[This poll is now closed.]

Some facts that may help out with your guesses:

• BebeDeux’s due date is 11/3/2011
• Claire was born 4 days before her due date, on 9/30/2010 at 9:35pm, weighing 6lbs 7oz, and measuring 19″ long.
• My OB guesses that I will have “another 6-pounder” (but then again, doctors have been known to be off by as much as 2lbs!)
• I have no idea how much I am currently dilated or effaced.

Good luck, and may the best guesser win!

If you’re in the middle of Snowtober 2011 like us, you’re probably taking it easy this Saturday night.

And if you’re looking for something to occupy yourself — even if for just a few minutes, I’ve got just the thing for you.

Presenting The History of Rap, Part 3, starring Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake!

And just in case you missed the first two…

Enjoy!

This is the scene outside our window right now:

They say that we should be expecting up to 5 inches of snow tonight.

With just a few days to go until my due date, I am a tad bit worried, to say the least.

I know five women whose due dates were within a week of mine — three of whose due dates were after mine — and they have all given birth already.

I have also been getting a bunch of broken nails in the past couple of days. And I distinctively remember my nails becoming more brittle and fragile the week before giving birth to Claire last year. (Was this a sign of impending labor for any other ladies?)

There’s also the fact that practically all the major events in my life are accompanied by bad weather. (There were severe thunderstorms the day Claire was born too.) And looking at the 5-day forecast, I do not see any additional rain or snow headed our way.

I have also been craving spicy food like crazy…

Will BebeDeux be an October baby or a November baby? Anyone care to guess?