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You appear from your many comments in your excellent post here to be very knowledgeable about the logistical side to running these "comic-con" type conventions. I've been extremely interested in the impact of these Cons and their culture on the greater popular culture and the business impact of this phenomenon. I don't know if you are a reader, but I recommend this book to anyone when ever I can. The information in the book is starting to get slightly out of date because the impact of "comic-con" type conventions is evolving so extremely fast. But the core of the book is very relevant, and to me at least, the material in the book is exceptionally well presented and fascinating. Here is the book: https://www.amazon.com/Comic-Con-Business-Pop-Culture-Entertainment/dp/0071797025/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1483565615&sr=1-1&keywords=the+business+of+comic+con Rob Salkowitz is regarded as a leader in this field, and he writes and lectures very widely. I've seen him at San Diego Comic Con where he moderates panels regarding these topics every year. If you have a more detailed interest in Cons, I recommend that you might find this book worth reading. Like I said, I try and push this book onto a lot of people. : ) I have recommended it to a number of organizers of newly introduced Cons. /u/BoroughConOfficial might also find this book and its information very interesting and relevant as well.

I want to thank you again for posting this here. The discussions that have been placed here because of your post are truly fascinating and very informative.

First off, congratulations! You know how the crowds will be, the waiting, and the bathroom situations, so honestly, you are already looking good there.

Last year, my wife attended and was about the same in terms of being in the first trimester (also first pregnancy). /u/housecatspeaks already has some great points about resting more. I would also recommend these mini-usb fans to keep cool: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PWD24LL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They plug into any USB port so if you have a battery pack for your phone, you can use these on there and they will move the air exactly were you need it.

One last thing, be sure to bring whatever snacks you CAN eat since my wife didn't like the smell of anything in the food courts or nearby restaurants.

it couldn't hurt... but unless you plan on being on your phone all day, i'm sure your phone will hold out.

as far as back pack essentials... here's what i put in my backpack. snacks, water, deodorant (it gets quite pungent on the floor), even though panels are listed in the book as well as a map, it's nice to have a notepad with a list of panels you want to go to.. i bring pens, sharpies, colored markers/highlighters... i also bring an adjustable poster tube, so if i buy posters or prints i know they're safe (and you will see these for sale around con for bank)... i also carry a file folder so i have something sturdy to put comics in.

Like others have said, it really depends on what you plan on buying. Besides one or two convention exclusives, I never have a set idea of what I'm buying while I'm on the floor. If something catches my interest, I'll scope out the price and make decision.

As far as how fair the pricing is, I've gotten some moderately generous deals before. I ended up buying The Sky: The Art of Final Fantasy from some shady-looking dude on the floor for $10 less than its asking price, a week or so before it hit the market. I've also been able to buy some vintage PS2/GameCube games at half their normal eBay or Amazon costs. Just take a good look at all the smaller, niche booths. You can sometimes find gold.

Get a comfortable 2 strap backpack and pack it with -

sunscreen
cell phone charger
water bottle
granola
small tripod chair
a book (seriously so many lines)


Other things I learned (this was my first time also)
Book a hotel away from the convention center - I booked at the Summerset Suites for around $110 per night. The room had a full kitchen so we could eat on the cheap, and continental breakfast. They also have a free bbq for patrons every Friday night which was awesome. Between that and carrying around Cliff bars we maybe paid out $30 per person per day for food and alcohol. There were a lot of good restaurants around the hotel, and it felt really great to get away from the madness.

Take the bus - the 3 and 11 got us to the convention center from the hotel in about 20 minutes for $2.25 a ride.

Thanks! I make them up, but their basic shapes are based on two patterns:

1. This free Ogilvy dolls pattern: http://www.suncatchereyes.net/The_Ogilvies.html
   
   
2. The basic head and body patterns found in "Creepy Cute" by Christen Haden
   
   I find that the pattern from Creepy Cute gets a little more of that chubby-cutesy look. Everything else is a matter of trial and error!

Crown Publishing was doing a contest for a free, signed edition of the Ron Burgundy book. I actually won and was able to get about 5 or 6 other books in the process, including a signed copy of Ender's Game.

This was at NYCC just last year.

In case anyone in here is looking for a tip on waiting in line - I recommend buying a stadium seat. It helps immensely when you want to sit on the floor and don't have anything to lean against.

I have a bad hip, so this is always an issue for me too. Sometimes the cost-benefit of having a seat with you vs the weight of carrying it along with a cane is annoying. I used to have one of those little camping chairs and it was pretty terrible.

Now I have this cane-stool which I got for last year and it was great. You can actually see how I decorated it in the photos section. The one catch is it isn't height adjustable, so you'd need to find one the right height for your husband. I'm 5'4" and this one was perfect for me.

One other reason I'd recommend the cane-stool is that it has you sit closer to a normal chair height. I can't sit on the ground, and I found the campfire sling seat kept me so low it barely helped.

We bought one of these one year and it seemed to be the best option. As far as the one that can't roll up, I'm not sure the best option besides over in it so nothing gets on it

Would a rubber/foam sword be allowed like this one? http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0015NA2L8/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1421884360&sr=8-3&dpPl=1&dpID=21xolzFDFkL&ref=plSrch&pi=AC_SX200_QL40

It's something similar to this though I'm not sure it's the same brand. Hope this helps!

Since you can't roll it, try something along these lines. www.amazon.com/dp/B0027AEKXY/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_h-q-ub00VVB2F

They sell these mini sharpies that have a lanyard clip that you can carry around your neck. I clip it to my badge holder, boom.

https://www.amazon.com/Adorama-11x17-Print-Storage-Design/dp/B0000A9DUU