the greatest anxiety for my toddler

tonight, as with most nights i have, i feel helpless with what my toddler is going through. she was sitting on that toilet bowl for an hour but nothing came. last night, she was crying a lot because her tummy felt upset and when i let her sit on the bowl, she was on tears telling me that her anus hurts.

sofia has functional constipation ever since she was less than 3 months old. she does not have a regular bowel movement, four- five days. and whenever she does, it is always those hard, stone-y ones. i remember going to the pedia every 4 days just so she can poo with the help of her doctor, otherwise, there is so much discomfort for her. during the first checkup, she was given VCO just to act as lubricant for her intestines. it worked for a few days, then it was back to her normal frequency. then there were laxatives. same story, it worked but not for long. also, i didn't want to have those laxatives on her because it might hurt her colon all the more.

i had her stomach on x-ray but the doctor found nothing on her. i also brought her to a pediatric gastroenterologist already when she was under 5 months old but the specialist found her stomach and colon okay, although no test were done to her. it was not advisable at her age to do further exposure to radiation. the doctor said that you would actually know there's something wrong inside with just the feel or form of the stomach. she advised that maybe this will all change when she starts on her solids, and we can incorporate liquids and fiber-rich foods on her diet. or so we thought...

now, she is 3, and it is still the problem i face with sofia. i actually get so anxious about this whole situation, especially during the times when she cries because it hurts already. i have tried all home remedies i know of -- papaya everyday, fiber-rich foods, prune and apple juice, and drinking lots of water. i have also eliminated those fruits that can contribute to constipation, even changed her formula milk for a number of times already thinking it might be the culprit. but sigh, nothing is working.

what more do you think i missed? how do i help improve my daughter's bowel movement? share your tips please.. my sanity is slowly escaping me with this one. i know this is not something i can just brush off and allow to persist.

my dream philippine travel destinations

i am currently planning a vacation getaway with a friend happening on the first half of 2015, thus my mind is anywhere on the web for travel destinations. my friend and i have already agreed where we would go but my eyes still wander at awesome philippine provinces worth visiting. these have been on my list for quite sometime now, and im slowly ticking them off one by one. (note: arranged in chronological order. hihihi)

1. BATANES - undoubtedly the most picturesque province in the country, the beauty of the place is so captivating. very unspoiled, non-commercialized, and just its natural charm.

2. ILOCOS- a UNESCO Heritage Site, Calle Crisologo deserves to be in every juan's travel itinerary. the bangui windmills, pagudpud beaches and the kapurpurawan rock formation  --these are too beautiful not to see. home to the real thing bagnet, and this i should really try! apart from adventures and beautiful sights, i must say i travel for food.  

3. BENGUET - there is something about going north that excites me, the road trip maybe, the cold weather or the bounty of fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables. with strawberries specifically, i don't know if i'll love them (i have not eaten the real ones), but the sight of these fresh fruits feels so christmas-sy! :)

don't you just love the scenery and the raw beauty of the philippines? we have been blessed with so much. we should immerse to experience everything there is. so, what's your favorite philippine destination?

P.S. all photos on this post are merely lifted from the web. i take credit to the owners of these photographs. 

people on my facebook feed

howdy folks! apparently, my articulate juices skipped on me for the past months. i was always having thoughts to blog certain events or just random things, but i just couldn't find the drive. damnnn!! but today is feeling different. thus, i opened blogger and words came one after another.

i wanted to share with you the varied personalities i encounter everyday via my facebook feed. interesting how one's online activity tells alot about his breeding, taste and preferences for things, demeanor and even the superficiality of some.

1. Online sellers - these are people who build up their network through the social media. they may bug your feed with products they sell, or even re-share their previous posts to refresh your memory on their items. i don't mind them really as long as they don't flood their products whole day on my feed, and they don't post their feedback each time. i even admire their courage to come out and sell online, in fact i even support some whose products (especially fooooood) tickles my fancy.

2. Ranters - bitter, unsatisfied, envious and unhappy people. these are people who  no nothing but rant on facebook. just goes to show what they're made of. honestly, these do not show on my feed anymore because i hid them all now. i don't have time for their drama and discontents.

3. Sports Analysts - people of this kind floods our feed in 2 occasions, when it's the nba finals and when manny pacquiao is on the ring.  all of a sudden everyone becomes so expert at the sport, airing out what had gone wrong with the game, the less defense played by the opposing team, the unpreparedness of one, and so forth. you get detailed analysis of the game, now move over ronnie nathanielsz!!! hahaha

4. Stock Market Gurus - i don't know with yours, but i have them in mine. yawooohooo!!! i have quiet a number of fb friends who invest in the stock market. i also subscribe to a certain group which is solely created for stock market affairs. i appreciate these people, i welcome them. hehehe i am a newbie in the stock market world, so their updates mean the world to me. jargons are not as foreign a they used to, thanks to them.

5. Gandang-ganda Sa Sarili Peeps - love them or hate them, they're taking their selfies and ootds just the same! hahaha these are people who just go to the world and show them what they have, flaunt it, capture it, and post it! im okay with it, just do it in moderation dear. when you're beautiful, you're beautiful. no need for multiple angle shots.

6. Teenyboppers - not that  belong to this age, but i probably have them on my feed care off my cousins. i can't relate. i got lost when i first read 'TBH' on their wall posts. what the hell does tbh stand for?! until just recently, i had it all figure out that it's suppose to mean 'to be honest', sorta like what precedes before you write your testimonial about him or her. friendster anyone? hehhe  yeahh my age reveals!

7. The Lurkers - well technically they don't appear on your page, because obviously they just open facebook to run their fingers through the mouse to browse thru fb. but you know they're updated because they know your events and how your latest profile picture looks like.

there may be some other personalities on your facebook feed, and that's quite a lot of varied personalities entering your senses. admit it or not, some consume you, others affect you in different ways, while  there are those who inspire you. it is up to us which ones we allow to make a mark on our lives. imagine every waking moment of your life, as you open through facebook you are faced with these people. really, everything is a matter of choice. never let one person define what you can do nor eat your whole energy out. press that unfriend option or simply hide them from your feed.

we all should learn how to manage what comes in of our system, whether they may be food, choice of music we want to listen, advise we want to follow, and yes even the kind of people we choose to be with. life is indeed better spent with people who share the same as we do.

how about you, who are you on facebook?