Number two

One of the most common problems during childhood is constipation.   I honestly have been wanting to write about this for the longest time, but it was just recently that I was truly enlightened, more of alarmed that we really had to seek the expert's help on R's BM (bowel movement) issue.  Some might find that this is TMI (too much information), but I feel that I should share my experience and thoughts on this.  I did my research on the internet on what to do if your child is constipated.  Believe me I have tried everything and was already out of my wits trying to figure out what to do.  I am well aware that lack of fiber in R's diet is a culprit.  However, R is also in the picky eating stage right now, bummer!  I honestly do not want to stress about it, but sometimes I could not help it.

Photo courtesy of howshealth.com

R was having BM problems ever since he was a baby especially when I switched to pure formula when he was around 4 months old (that's why please choose to breastfeed!).  We sought the help of a Pedia-Gastro and it somehow improved. I resorted to giving him either diluted prune juice and it has always worked.  But as he got older, there were a lot of times wherein he would strain for hours trying to get it out.  Making him drink prune juice also became a struggle because I think he is sick and tired of its taste.  The final straw was when he was straining for almost half a day to no avail and he was already in tears. We were so stressed and felt so bad for him.  I quickly booked an appointment with Dra Jean Guno of TMC (The Medical City) because I do not know what to do anymore!

Anyways, I am thankful for the very thorough and very detailed explanation of Dra. Guno.  R has been classified to have functional constipation.  This type of constipation means that the child does not require surgery due to another condition, it's just because the child has a hard poop.  In R's case, other than having a low fiber diet, he used to drink very little water (as in pahirapan). What could have also  triggered longer days to pass on poop could be due to a painful past incident wherein poop was too big to pass and it hurt him a lot.  And as the poop stays in there longer, the bigger and dryer it becomes, thus making it difficult to release. He usually poops every four days which is so not good.  The explanation here is that the passage way has been stretched so it takes more time for it to trigger the brain to do #2.  I did not know that!

Below is the Bristol Stool chart that was shown to me.  What we are aiming for is Type 4.  The first three types are signs of constipation.

For now, R will need to undergo a Bowel Retraining program which includes Disimpaction,
Maintenance Medication, Behavioral Intervention, Fluid Intake and Diet.  He was also asked to have an X-ray of his abdomen to validate fecal impaction.

We are on our second week in the program.  Apart from R maintenance medicine (Lactulose), I have also been training him to sit on the potty every after lunch and dinner. A helpful tip is to make sure that his feet rest on a stool because it is hard to poop when your legs are hanging from the toilet.  Blowing exercises also help.

It is still way too early to see major improvements.  Though poop consistency has greatly improved, we are still struggling with long days.  I cannot wait for the day that everything will be ok, I tell you.

In the meantime, I will do whatever it takes to make him eat more fiber and increase his water intake and of course be supportive of what he is going through.

As a last note, it is always best to consult the experts immediately.  Please do not offer laxatives or suppositories without the Doctor's advice.

Once upon a Sunday

Ortigas was once a vast grassy place in the 80's. I remember my dad and my brother used to go there to watch RC races.  There were just a handful of buildings dominating the area, like the Strata building.  fast forward to today and I cannot even find Strata immediately because of the new and tall buildings surrounding it.  Honestly, as much as possible I avoid going there on weekdays, sometimes even on Saturdays because the traffic just makes me go insane.  The perils of modernization.

Anyway, one of my friends invited us to hang out in Ortigas one Sunday morning.  I did not know that they close down F. Ortigas Jr. Road (formerly Emerald Avenue) every Sunday.  They have free Zumba in the morning and the kids (and adults) could bike there without worrying that they would bump into a car.  There are also bikes and carts for rent in case you do not have one.  Several establishments like Mc Donald's, Jollibee, Krispy Kreme and Jamba Juice are also open if you get hungry.

The kids loved the free space so much that we stayed there for four hours!

Up and about at 7:30 in the morning!

R biking away while dad is making chika, haha!

R has his own bike.  But don't fret if you forgot to bring yours or do not have one.  There are  bikes for rent.  I think the fee is P100. 

Run, run, run!

Dads and the kiddos.

Kids winding down.  As usual R was eating.

Iam still alive!

Hi remember me? I have been on a blogging break, if that's what you call it.  Now that R is officially going to school everyday for three hours, I now have three hours for myself!  If you are going to think about it, I should have had more time to blog.  But there were so many things that I wanted to do that kept me preoccupied for three hours everyday like cleaning and organizing our closets, errands, and just basically hanging out with myself.  Now that I have pretty much crossed out my to-do lists, hopefully I will have more time to blog, yey! So watch out for my upcoming posts!

Turning three

My son turned three last week! I cannot believe how time flies.  Once upon a time all he did was babble, could not blow a candle, and could not even sing "happy birthday."  Now, he gets so giddy  whenever he would hear the Birthday song and delights in blowing candles.  Sometimes I want to tear up seeing how much he has developed.  

He started going to school mid Februrary.  I had to see first if he we will have struggles in attending a three hour class everyday.  I was apprehensive and was quite sure we would have some difficulties.  But he surprised me when during his first day in school, he just happily went with the teacher and stuck it out for the rest of the class.  Of course there are days when it gets a little hard to make him take a bath and dress up because he wants to play.  But once he sees we are infront of his school, he suddenly lights up, hands me his toy and happily goes down the car.  I hope and pray that he will always have a good disposition towards school and learning.

Anyway, since this school year, I would say he is officially in school, we decided to hold a party for him with his classmates.  The school has certain policies with regard to throwing parties.  They want it just to be a simple one, as if it was a normal school day. I totally agree with that because I am not a fan of lavish celebrations.  I appreciate intimate and simple gatherings more.  

This was officially my first time to frost a cake!  I originally planned on making a fondant cake but was too tired to knead.  So, last minute I decided to make a simple cake with gum paste airplane toppers.  R was so happy to see his cake since he is so into airplanes nowadays.  It may not be the best frosted cake, but it was made with pure love.

The snack box contained homemade baked macaroni and a chocolate cupcake.

The DIY loot bag contained a yogurt drink, chocolate filled cookies, mini chocolate chip cookies and Airplanes themed bubble maker. I was so happy to score those Disney Airplanes bubble makers at Toys R'Us.

The expression on R's face when he saw us in school was priceless!  He looked so proud and happy.  We only stayed there for around thirty minutes and we witnessed how comfortable he  is with his teachers and classmates.   Now, if I can only slow down time and just cling on to my little one for a longer time.

Happy third birthday to our little pride and joy.  We will always be here for you and we love you so much!

Mommy Eats: Momma Brown

I have been curious about this coffee shop along Marcos hi-way since it opened I think late last year.    We always pass by it but It was only during my son's  summer class last May that we were finally able to try it.  

                                                                                                                                                                       

                 

                           The place is spacious! And I like the simplicity of its interiors.  

                        

                 

                          It was lunch time and there was only us and another customer, 

                                       so R had the place to himself. 

They have rice meals, pasta, sandwiches, and coffee.  The Chicken Terriyaki (above) and Tapsilog (below) were only for P150.   I found the Terriyaki too sweet and it didn't taste fresh.  The  Tapa on the otherhand was relatively ok. Thank God the beef was tender enough!

                    

This chocolate fudge cupcake was pretty moist.  Not bad for P45.

 I love the chalkboard designs in his resto and had R pose in front of one.  

                            

                           

More parks, please!

I wish we had more parks and open spaces where the kids can run free and enjoy the outdoors.   We are pretty lucky that UP is not too far from our place.  That's the only place where R can run wild and free!  

 

Road trip to the City of Pines part 3 :

This should be the last installment of my City of Pines post.  Here are some of the other must go to places in Baguio. 

Forest House is located in Loakan road and is just near CJH.  The food that we ordered did not fail us!  Hubby had the Binagoongang Bagnet while I had the Twin Porkchops with applesauce. They were both delicious.  Average meal ranges from P300-350.

   

Cafe by the Ruins is a landmark itself in Baguio.  We were not able to eat much here ( we only ordered bread, soup and salad), so I do not have any food posts.  But the place itself is already a feast for the eyes.

We chanced upon Villa Cordillera because we wanted to buy the Raisin bread that you can only buy from Baguio Country Club.  However, since we are not members, the guard led us to this cozy place managed by BCC named Villa Cordillera.  It is located just behind the club and is overlooking the golf course.  My son was so happy to see a real fireplace and he kept on saying, 'like Olaf." 

When you have kids, Burnham Park is a must see.  It was R's first boat ride experience and he loved it so much that he was helping his Dad paddle throughout.  He also enjoyed running the grounds with the toy helicopter that we bought for just P65.  

I already miss Baguio!  Probably next time we should stay there longer and visit during the 'ber' months where we can really enjoy the cool weather.  See you next time Baguio!!!