ACEN

Melissa and I are nerds. We're nerds because we enjoy subculture and juvenile humor over what most 30 year olds consider culture and humor. Melissa and I are so nerdy that we attend two conventions that are cesspools for nerd-dom. The first convention we hit (almost to commemorate the end of the school year for me) is a little thing called ACEN (click on the blue links for more information). ACEN is an annual convention that celebrates Japanese Anime and Manga culture, but it also transcends those lines into the realms of video games and other popular genres associated.

We knew that Violet was going to be with us when we ordered are passes this year for ACEN, and we joked about the prospect of bringing her along and having her cosplay. Well, as ACEN crept ever forward, I put the pressure on Melissa to make Violet a costume for ACEN to commemorate her first, and certainly not her last, visit to ACEN. Armed with her astounding creativity and artistic skills, Melissa churned out a Moogle costume for Violet (see above illustration). As she was working on the piece she would send me updates on the progress and my heart would melt. Little did we know that our reaction to our baby moogle would not only be matched, but multiplied exponentially when we exposed Violet to the denizens of the con.

We couldn't take more than ten steps without hearing someone (male or female) pause and swoon with a heart-wrenching "awwwwww" followed by a few small crowds and lots of pictures. Violet was a star of ACEN in her own right and was frequently brought up on the ACEN forums.

Violet handled all three days at the con with speed and grace. We also had to attend a wedding that Sunday evening and she was fine there too. She had only one small meltdown due to over stimulation as we were leaving the house for the reception, but other than that... she was an angel.

Violet continues to amaze and challenge us. Her calm moments are filled with smiles, gurgling noises, vomit, and chubby cheeks. I think Melissa and I have it pretty good. Hopefully Violet feels the same about us.

Now. On to the pics:


That's not a look of apprehension. Well, at least
we didn't think it was.


The costume is more visible in this pic.
This was taken by someone at the con and then
posted on the forums.


Please excuse the quality. This was taken by a gaggle
of ACEN goers with a cellphone. This was also found on
the forums.


We ran into this cosplayer in the lobby of the Hyatt. Underneath the costume is a 40 year old woman. She asked if she could hold Violet for a pic. Melissa and I bristled at the idea at first, but once She told us that she's a mother of 4... we decided it would be ok.


The response to this pic was amazing. Not only did we draw a crowd, three people went into diabetic shock because of the astounding sweetness.


These two can sleep through a nuclear holocaust. Especially
after a busy weekend.


"Where the hell is my coffee?"



So it begins. It's only a matter of time before I hear:
"Dad, What's Kotaku?"

Reality

It's been a while since my last post. A lot has happened in such a short time that it's difficult to chronicle all that occurred. I suppose the first thing I should mention is that I'm back to work. Funny story about that. According to my records at home, I was under the assumption that my first day back to work was the 7th of May. Melissa and I agreed that she would handle the feedings at night so as to allow me to get some uninterrupted sleep. A sacrifice that still astounds me today.

Anyway, the 7th rolled around. I didn't get much sleep, not because of Violet, but because of anxiety and waking up in a cold sweat of anticipation. When I walked into the building and saw some familiar faces I was overwhelmed not only by the positive comments from my colleagues, but also by the number of people reading the blog. Talk about pressure. As 1st hour inched closer, a few of my students sauntered in and greeted me when I remembered that I needed to check my mail downstairs. I ran into my department head and he told me that he had me down for coming back the 8th and not the 7th. I went back to my room, called the sub coordinator and double checked with her. Long story short, I came back to work a day early. I tied up some loose ends and I was out the door to help out for one more day.

The transition from spending 5 weeks with my wife and daughter to come back to work wasn't and isn't an easy one. I often thought that 5 weeks was too long of a time to take off to help with acclimating to the arrival of our daughter. In hindsight, it was absolutely the best decision I have made in my professional career. Those 5 weeks are indelible and irreplaceable. They put me at ease and really gave me some quality time with Violet that I may not have again... well... at least until summer break.

Violet has her ups and downs. Some days are fraught with fussiness, while others are as easy as can be. During the first few days of my return to work, Violet was gearing up for a growth spurt. She was fussy and borderline inconsolable when I was away, and she also seemed insatiable during her feedings. One three hour span she would awaken and only take an ounce and fall asleep for an hour, then she'd be up again and take another 4.

At this point in time, Violet is almost 6 weeks old. She is approximately 11 lbs and incredibly alert. Melissa told me that just today that Violet watched her prepare a bottle and followed her with her eyes as she walked around the room. When I came home today I picked her up and cuddled her and spoke to her and she gave me a wry little smile. My heart melted. 3 seconds later she spit up a small lake and dashed my hopes of receiving a smile of recognition. Looks like I'll just have to wait for that when she's a little older.

Melissa is really an excellent mother/caretaker. She handles every freak out with a level of patience and calm that is astounding. Only when she's sleep deprived does she crack under the pressure of a Violet fit, but it's so rare. Last weekend marked her 1st mother's day ever. Melissa insisted that I didn't have to get her a mother's day gift, but I couldn't help but ignore her request and present her with something I thought she'd like. I took her clothes shopping. While normally not that big of a deal, I knew Melissa was dreading going out and looking for clothes to fit her post pregnancy. The excursion was met with a few moments of tears, but she did find some items that she really liked and thus adding to her wardrobe of clothes. I never really knew how long the spectrum of emotions were going to last. I would sometimes get a little impatient with the mood swings... but after the shopping adventure I have a better understanding of how she feels as she works to get back to "normal".

Overall, things are running smoothly. Despite the fussiness and the mini-freak outs, Violet's astounding cute factor more than makes up for it.

Here are some updated pics:


"Hi there!"


A pic we used as a gift for Mother's day. The look on her
face is priceless.


"Hmm... should I make a mess today,
or shall I make their hearts explode?"


The whole cross-eyed thing is getting better. It comes back
when she's really relaxed or after she's had a poopsplosion.
However, most of the time when she's awake her eyes actually
work together.


The "Vomit Comet". Works well when she wants it to work.
Otherwise it just makes her puke. That's not a smile by the way...
it's a prelude to oral destruction.


She's really this long. No joke. No digital manipulation here.
I have a feeling that she's going to end up tall like mom. She's
certainly got just about all of the rest of mom's features.


Washed out, but still terrifying. Thanks to the Whispers
crew (Literary magazine staff) for this piece of equipment.
Great way to stave off the sickening gushing female response
when we bring Violet out in public. Have at you!

More soon.... seriously.