Being Mommy

From their mother’s arms, 7-month-old Adyson Planeta and 6-month-old Abigail Borchers reached out to one another as they met for the first time in front of the Rezin Orthopedics and Vital Care office May 1.

A year ago, Adyson’s mother, Valynda Planeta, was getting more acquainted with Abigail’s mom, Megan Borchers, by answering many of her first-time pregnancy questions while they worked together at Rezin Orthopedics in Morris.

This time last year, six Rezin employees were pregnant and most were getting ready to celebrate their first Mother’s Day as mothers-to-be. Now the youngest of these Rezin babies is 6 months old and, in recent weeks, two more Rezin employees have just delivered their babies.

“Now I go to work with snot on my arm or drool; it’s disgusting,” said Planeta, Vital Care physical therapist assistant and mother of four.

Instead of discussing morning sickness and baby names, the mothers now compare baby firsts, such as smiles and laughs.

“People tell you its going to melt your heart, but actually seeing her first smile and hearing her laugh for the first time, it’s really amazing. It’s a really proud moment for a parent,” said Borchers, marketing coordinator.

A year ago, all of the mothers’ biggest wishes were to have healthy babies. Those wishes came true for each of them.

Jamie Pettyjohn has the oldest of the Rezin babies, 11-month-old Kaitlyn; Nina Kinsinger had a boy, 10-month-old Bryce; and Trisha Phillips also had a boy, Patrick, who is now 9 months old.

Planeta and Borchers’ daughters came next, while the youngest child of the original six is Emily Edman’s son, 6-month-old Tyson.

Being pregnant at around the same time is pretty much the only thing these ladies had in common, as least as far as the deliveries was concerned.

For Edman, her contractions was so painless, she didn’t even know she was having any.

“For me it was good. I didn’t even know I was in labor. I hadn’t felt him move any, so I went in to get checked and they said I was having contractions. They were 3 1/2 minutes apart,” said Edman, athletic trainer for Vital Care.

She ended up having a C-section, but everything went smoothly still.

Like Edman, this was also Kinsinger’s first child, but she wasn’t so lucky.

“I thought it was horrible, 23 1/2 hours of labor,” said Kinsinger, surgery scheduler for Rezin.

“Are you going to have another?” Planeta asked.

“We’re still thinking about it,” Kinsinger answered quickly ... and with a laugh.

After having three before Adyson, Planeta said the last is the best, at least for her.

“They’re all different. She is the easiest baby. If they all came out as good as her, I’d have a million,” Planeta said.

Although Phillips is also not a first-time mother, the second time around wasn’t so easy for her.

“For seven nights in a row, all he did was scream, but I knew it wouldn’t last, it’s all worth it,” said Phillips, employee of Rezin’s medical records department.

Although last Mother’s Day they were all pregnant and already had their first Mother’s Day, it is evident that this one, will be just as special for them all.

“It’s definitely more special. Before, it was just a day to give my mom a card, but now we’re so thankful to have him in our lives,” Edman said.