The Smardy Duo

***UPDATE***

*The Smardy Duo has already sold out but will be restocked mid-September,

so stay tuned!*

A few months ago, my sister mentioned to me that she had a coworker at Red Cross who had heard about Nate and wanted to do something to help.  Her coworker owns a nail polish business on the side and decided to create a couple of custom colors in Nate's honor.

I thought it was an awesome idea, but it wasn't until I checked out her Instagram that I realized how amazing this girl really is.  Over 16,000 followers?!  She is the real deal in the nail polish biz!  Polished by KPT sells out regularly since their colors are amazing and all of the polishes are handcrafted, custom blended, cruelty-free, and free of the big 3 nasty chemicals that usually go into polishes.  So I feel especially cool that she has just introduced these new colors just for Nate!

The first color is called Bleu Cruiser and represents Nate cruising through his battle with SMARD.  Blue is also Nate's favorite color. :)

The next color is Glowing Smardy, which represents hope in a dark place.  This stuff glows in the dark and I LOVE it!

They are priced at $9-10 a bottle and 50% of the proceeds will go straight to Nate's fund at the DCipher Group to be used for medical expenses, therapy equipment, and donations to SMARD research.

Polishes can be ordered here.  Get some for yourself and everyone you know!  Christmas is coming soon, right? :) 

You can also help by spreading the word about these polishes on your Facebook, blog, Instagram, Twitter, or whatever the kids are using these days to tell people to about awesome stuff.

HUGE thanks are in order for KPT herself, too!  Be sure to check out her other polishes while you're shopping her site!

Photo Dump

Scott mercifully took over blogging duties for me last week, which was very sweet, but now my conscience is pricked and I feel like I have some major catching up to do. 

 

So, without further ado, I present to you Nate's entire summer.



lots of cousin time

lots of pool time

lots of seeing what sinks and floats.  fascinating stuff.

painting, and then getting a bath

Storytime with Mom.  I love that we can both fit in his new bed!



Learning to climb up and down his ramp

 

Waking up with 4-dimensional hair (and no pants, apparently)

Getting up close and personal with the construction equipment downtown

More cousin time

Visiting the temple

"Helping" me make dinner.  Why is there a loader in my casserole?

Lots of semi-annual checkups with all of his specialists.  He only shows up for the stickers.

Playing at Grandma's "beach"

Riding Caltrain

Being obsessed with human anatomy

Playing "guess my expression"

Helping me water the patio

Even more cousin time

Watching plane take off at the airport

Running through the sprinklers



Nate climbed these stairs all by himself for the first time in his life!

twice-weekly therapy

new baby cousin Lydia

Phew. 

Nate has been busy

So what has Nate been up to the last month.  

He had his 3rd Fourth of July.  He thought it was great.  We went to the Los Altos 4th of July extravaganza where Nate got to hear a live band, wave an American flag and get a real close look at a turtle, which he thought was hilarious.  What he didn't think was so hilarious was at the pool party that afternoon....when he took a dive into the pool.

Nate was in his trusty fire engine floaty having a blast when something slipped and suddenly Nate was over the edge of his floaty and completely underwater.  We had always assumed this would be instant drowning for Nate but I yanked him out and (after a panicky moment) despite being completely freaked out he was fine.  So we cleared out his tube, suctioned him and I brought him back in despite his protests.  He ended up loving it.

Nate has also spent some time with cousins.  He loves his cousins.  Sometimes he just loves them a bit too much.

Adorbsies moment of the month was Callie having a walk with Nate outside Grammy's house.  She pushed him a few houses down and back and if we hadn't had to leave they would have wanted to keep at it.

He loves to sit on the bench in the back yard.  He apparently also loves to pretend fish with Callie.  I made him gut his own pretend fish though and that seemed to turn him off the idea.

Nate built and painted a train his Grandpa gave him for his birthday.  He's been asking us to let him paint it for months.

He managed to become not one but TWO superheroes.  I don't know where he finds the time but a kid with SMARD is the perfect secret identity.

He's been busy.

 

 

Daddy

I think the day Nate was born was the best day of Scott's life (our wedding day was way too hot to be in the running).  Scott was so, so excited to become a dad.  He wanted kids sooner and in greater quantities than I would ever even consider.  When Nate came along, he was the happiest new father I've ever seen. 

 

I think Scott's greatest strength as a human being is the way he embraces his role as a father.  I mean, he's really, really good at it.  And being Nate's father is extremely hard work in every way something can be hard work.  Nate's condition taxes you physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and every other -ally out there.  But Scott's love for and sense of duty to Nate is way bigger than any of that. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you see Scott, Nate, and his vent sitting down way out there?  Scott was bone-tired by the time they got to that point.  And there was still a very long way to go to get to the water.  And Nate is SO heavy these days.  And his vent is heavy.  And it was hot.  And the sand was hard to walk in.  But Nate wanted to dip his feet in, so Scott took him to the water.  That's the kind of dad Scott is. 

 

I don't really know what else to say except that I really believe that Scott is the perfect dad for Nate, and I hope that someday Nate will be able to catch even a tiny glimpse of how lucky he is.

 

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!