To begin with, the whole issue of pain was much more prominent in the experience than I had anticipated. I had always suspected that I have a low threshold for pain, and that was confirmed during labor, which I knew to expect. But the pain I experienced during my recovery was definitely not expected. Due to Kaz's "off the chart" (as his pediatrician describes) head circumference—which has consistently measured in over the 100th percentile—I ended up having a c-section.

Stubbornly, I refused to take the prescribed Vicodin for fear of turning into a Rush Limbaugh of sorts, and so I was in such extreme pain as we drove home from the hospital that every little bump in the road made me cry. Walking up the stairs to our second-floor apartment was nearly impossible, I could hardly get out of bed or sit down on a toilet, and what made me most depressed was that I couldn't even rock our new baby, change his first diapers, or give him his first baths. The only way I can explain it is that it literally felt as if all of my guts were falling out. I

It was so bad that one afternoon I even went online and did all kinds of ridiculous searches, such as "c-section recovery AND feels like my guts are falling out." I ended up finding some Yahoo! discussion board post that claimed it's possible that doctors will just stuff all of your organs back in your body without taking the time to properly sew each layer of tissue back together. I madly tried to convince Mister Raroo that this scenario must be what had happened to me. Needless to say, during those first couple weeks after Kazuo’s arrival I was definitely not that woman in the window.

In order to cope with the limitations of my recovery, my dear Mister Raroo went into action setting up camp for me on our loveseat. He supplied me with pillows, blankets, my Boppy, and a TV tray that had everything I could possibly need: a water bottle, Kleenex, Lansinoh cream, my journal, the baby book, pens, a remote for TV, and…a Wii-mote.

This was my sole command center for at least the first month after Kaz was born. And, while I might have done more walking around if hadn't had a c-section, I think I still would've ended up spending much time sitting on that couch, because Kaz loves to eat! Even though Mister Raroo and I had attended a whole class on breastfeeding during the pregnancy, I had not fully comprehended how I would be spending the majority of my days going from one nursing section into the next without time to do much else in between.

Now, there are some talented and skilled mothers are able to multitask while nursing. I went to a "Baby-wearing" club meeting once and I met women who are able, by using a carrier, to breastfeed while doing chores, going shopping and more. Perhaps I, too, will be able to reach this next level of mastery if we have another baby, but at least the first time around, I was a total couch potato when Kaz was a newborn.

Sitting on a sofa all day long always sounds pretty easy until you find yourself stuck there against your will. I tried to busy myself by watching some television, but having freshly read plenty of parenting books, I did not want to expose our impressionable baby to the likes of Maury Pauvich, whom I had previously enjoyed watching regularly as a guilty pleasure. My saving grace, one that I would have never suspected, ended up coming in the form of the Wii.

Accessing the Web from the Wii became my way to stay in touch with the outside world. I guess I could've tried harder to use our computer, but that would have involved having to stand up, walk to the computer desk, and balance Kaz all the while. I simply didn't have the talent to hold him and type at the same time.

Surfing the Web with Wii eliminated my issues with coordination since it only requires the use of very slight motions by a single hand. Before long, I had set up all kinds of bookmarks and had become very quick at the key-at-a-time typing. I was able to check in with my Babycenter.com bulletin boards, research mastitis at Kellymom.com, order a breast pump with accessories, and more.

My biggest complaint with the Wii’s web browser is that it wasn't very good for typing anything long, like in-depth e-mails. But, the fact that the browser works so well for watching YouTube videos more than made up for that deficiency. If you haven't watched videos of babies spitting up before, you must go and search them out now! Perhaps it's just because we're so used to the gross bodily functions of Kaz, but in any case, Mister Raroo and I thought these videos were genius.

As Kaz grew out of his newborn phase, my love affair with the Wii waned. My body started to heal and so I was able to move around more. Kaz became a more efficient eater and nursing sessions became less frequent and time consuming. I went back to work, Kaz started going to daycare, we moved out of our apartment, and we bought a new, larger couch to replace the little loveseat that I had spent all of that time camped out on.

My days now seem so different from those early weeks with Kaz and the Wii. Kaz is walking around now and getting his little hands on everything in sight. Each day is spent keeping him from torturing our cat that is too lazy to jump out of Kaz’s reach versus resting with a baby swaddled up like a warm lump in my arms. In retrospect, I suppose it's a good thing that I eliminated the likes of Maury from my viewing habits during those early days, because even my time with the Wii has indeed made a lasting impression on Kaz.

Like Pavlov's dogs, Kaz has been conditioned to instantly respond to the sound the Wii makes whenever it turns on. No matter what he is doing, he will turn towards the television screen with wide-open eyes the second that ringing goes off. Even if he's nursing, which is one of his favorite things in the world, he will unlatch with a quickness the moment he hears that sacred sound, exposing me to all parties present.

Although I hardly ever use the Wii to surf the web anymore, Kaz continues to find new ways to love the Wii. Mister Raroo is a fanatic when it comes to keeping up with the Everybody Votes Channel and so now Kaz not only reacts to the sound of the Wii turning on, but also to the specific music which accompanies that channel. He stays glued to the screen and is mesmerized when the "Results are in" and the sea of Miis form a pie chart. It can be a little creepy at times to see how entranced he gets by these images—that he is truly so impressionable. But, I guess I'd rather have him obsessed with seeing that the "Results are in" on the Wii than via those gosh darn addicting paternity results on Maury.

Most recently, Mister Raroo and I have fallen in love with Mario Kart Wii. A game that comes along and is able to catch my interest is a rare game indeed, and so it is no small thing when I say that I have fallen in love with “Karting.” With both Mommy and Daddy role modeling a love for Mario Kart, Kaz has also developed a deep love for the game.

Even though he's at an age where it's nearly impossible for him to sit still, he will stop in his tracks to watch us race through the courses. He is not old enough to wield a controller himself, but he often grips his favorite Giggle and Go toy cars, one in each hand, when he watches us play. I like to think he pretends that he's playing alongside us, with his toy cars catching imaginary mushrooms while we're busy dodging banana peels on screen.

While I didn't instantly feel like a "mother" after Kaz was born, I do feel like I've comfortably grown into my role during this past year. I am happy to report that there have actually been those moments of stillness when I've held Kaz in my arms, and looking down at him, I've felt like I'm that woman in the black and white photo by the window. I realize now, though, that I'm also that woman who at times feels like her guts are falling out, and while I may get pummeled by winged blue shells from time to time, I can also count on coming across bright stars that allow me to get through anything in my path.

[Missus Raroo doesn't consider herself to be a "real" gamer, but between listening to her husband excitedly talk about games on a regular basis and trying her hand at a select few titles herself, she knows a thing or two about videogames. She currently serves as the co-editor-in-chief of Game Time With Mister Raroo and has been called the "heart and soul" of the zine by readers. She lives in El Cajon, CA with her husband, son, and pets. You may reach Missus Raroo at koopaboo@yahoo.com.]