It’s back-to-school time—yikes! Another crazy, busy summer. How about you? I know that I am a little overwhelmed when I look forward to going to sleep at night. Between you and me, I’ve had a lot of those times this summer. Does anyone have any tips on how to slow things down—just a little? If you do, please share!

On August 22nd, my son, Adam, turns 20. Happy Birthday, Adam! Wow, I no longer am the mother of a teenager. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 20 years since I gave birth to this guy. My late husband, Jim, and I made the decision to have a second child when our daughter, Carissa, was just over 10 years old. We wanted Carissa to have a sibling. I grew up with five siblings, and Jim had two brothers. Even though I know that there is nothing wrong with being an “only,” it felt better to us to have one more.

I remember when I was about five months along, and we had an ultrasound and discovered that we were having a boy. Both Jim and I went into temporary shock. I think that we had talked ourselves into being fine with having another girl. After all, we knew how to raise a girl. We had been there. But a boy? I’m happy that we had several months to adjust to this reality.

When Adam came into this world, he was a screamer. He had terrible colic for his first six weeks of life. We tried everything to help him feel better. He was in so much pain that he would arch his back when we tried to hold him. It was heartbreaking! I tried every formula that was available on the market back then to no avail.

Then I had an inspiration to pull out a book I had by Adelle Davis called How to Have Healthy Children. Inside was a recipe for a homemade formula. Within 24 hours, we had a new baby on our hands. Adam was happy, cooing, and loved to be held. I was so thrilled. To this day, Adam has affectionate memories of “cow juice,” which is what he began calling it as soon as he could talk.

Even though the pediatrician he was going to at that time did not approve, Adam turned out to be healthy as a horse. My “baby” is now 6’2” tall and looks a lot like his dad. I love him with all of my heart, as I do my daughter. My kids are the best thing I’ve ever done!

Autumn is just around the corner, so let’s get out and make the most of it. We’ll talk next month.

Special Notes

Hello, moms! If you or your child need braces Dr. Theresa Shaver Orthodontics, PC, is here to help bring confidence back to their smile. Offering a full range of professional orthodontic services for children and adults, they are devoted to promoting good health and improved appearance. Call to schedule your free consultation today and receive a $200 shopping spree to Cherry Creek Mall at the start of treatment! See their ad on page 10 for details.

Where do you begin to fix your feet? From ingrown toenails to surgery, Jonathon J. Dormish, DPM wants you to know your options. Understand ways to start helping your feet; you will be one step closer to happy feet! See his ad on page 11 and call Dr. Dormish today!

Pristine Health is a premier naturopathic/homeopathic practice offering numerous non-invasive and cutting edge technologies for all services. See their ad on page 1 and call Dr. Diana Alba for more information today.

Are you or someone you know pregnant, and doesn’t know how to choose a doctor? Women have different wants and needs, and you need an obstetrician that you can trust. Make Dr. Kristine Eule MD, FACOG your advocate and ally for this critical time in your life. See her ad on page 1.

We would like to thank the Assisted Living Directory for their help with last month’s Generations column, Help Through Assisted Living. You can visit them at their Web site www.assisted-living-directory.com.Positive Thought of the Month

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” —Steve Jobs