We’ve made no secret of the fact that it has been a long, tough several years for us, folks. It was a rough pregnancy for me following an even rougher journey to get to pregnancy. It was months of recovery from endometriosis surgery and losing my dad in October 2018, after my first surgery and losing Mike’s dad in 2017. And even though we are tough too, we are pretty depleted and tapped out at this point. So here is the latest update from #TeamWarner- Since about late summer, Mike has been fighting ongoing, worsening back, hip, and leg pain, which we now know is being caused by badly herniated lumbar discs. Over the past couple of months, it has gotten so crippling that he can’t work, and there have been times when he couldn’t walk. Most of the time, he can barely get around the house without limping and hunching like Igor in “Young Frankenstein” #walkthisway Worst of all, it’s made it extremely difficult for him to hold, carry, change, care for our baby. It is heartbreaking for him going through it, and for me watching it and not able to do a damn thing to help him, in body or in heart. It has made everything these past-not-quite 7 weeks of newborn life even that much harder. It’s not how we wanted to start this new year, new decade as a new family. So after months of jumping through hoops for insurance- medications, physical therapy, etc.- with no relief or resolution of his pain, he is FINALLY having a microdiscectomy- surgery on his lumbar spine to remove the portions of disc causing all this havoc- next Tuesday, February 18. (And yes- for those keeping score at home, this makes 3 surgeries in less than 3 years for us as a family. With my pregnancy, we are 4 for 4 the last 4 years running in major medical events or procedures- is there a prize?!) Because of all of this, neither of us has worked a normal schedule since before Christmas. As one restaurant server and one self employed holistic life coach, we both only make money when we are working. Expanding my business and client base will be a HIGH priority coming out of maternity and everything it took to get us here, but for right now and these next few weeks, my focus has to be taking care of my two boys. We are VERY lucky to be able to keep our health insurance through Mike’s job and FMLA as long as we keep paying for it out of pocket. This plus the copays, plus the medical bills, plus the regular bills, PLUS the new beautiful, tiny human- it’s a lot. It’s overwhelming. Everyone has been telling us to ask for help, SO- We are asking for help. Love, Team Warner Nicole, Mike, and Jamie “Every storm eventually runs out of rain”