On March 11, 2019 at 2:37 AM, after nearly eighteen hours of labor, our son, John-Henry Ellis Trunack was born at home and completely healthy, weighing in at 8lbs 10oz and 22.4 inches long. Even though Elyse isn't here, I know that she was by my side the entire time, holding my hand, encouraging me and whispering words of her love to me. His first name, is in honor of our two favorite naturalist and philosophers, John Muir and Henry David Thoreau; we had this first named picked for a boy, long before we even began to try for a child. His middle name, is to honor his other mother, the love of my life. He is the mirror image of Elyse and every time I look at him, I lose my breath and smile; because I have a part of her and she will now live on forever. My life has shifted in a way I wasn't truly prepared for and I've never known a love like this. There will always be a hole in my heart, that will never be completely healed, but our son has made that void less expansive. The last six days have felt like a dream; I have gained a puzzle piece of our life, that we so desperately hoped, wished, dreamed, waited and longed for. Of all the things that my hands have ever held in my life, the two best things have been my wife and our son. I will spend the rest of my life being thankful, grateful and happy, that I had the privilege of carrying and giving birth to the best part of both us. He is perfect in every single way imaginable.
I sincerely thank each and every single one of you; for the kind words, prayers, love and support during this journey, it has meant more than you could ever know.