(Chapter Four) We Keep Growing and Growing and Growing...

We were finally able to expand our home. Suzanne and I wanted the best for us, Stephanie and our ever growing brood.

We added on several additons to our home including a second floor. With a second baby on the way we really needed more room!

Things were really starting to take off for us. Both Suzanne and I were at the top of our careers and things were looking up.

We had a comfortable home with the "white-picket fence" and a spacious yard where Stephanie and our future kids could run & play.

My little angel - sometimes I could only imagine what the future held for Steph. If we didn't have a son would she become our heir when we were gone? Of course women were just as good to pass on a Legacy to, but I had always dreamed of having a son carry on my name.

Stephanie was growing up fast. Not only did she look like her mom but she was just like her in the way she loved learning. She was always reading. We were thrilled when she came home with an A+ on her report card.

Pretty soon Suzanne was in labor once again. Her screams were so loud I just knew the "Townies" downtown could hear them!

Welcome our 2nd daughter, Marisol Marigold Stratton. Another girl, however I was not disappointed. Marisol was beautiful and we were thankful she was healthy.

And yet again we were doting parents. As tiring as it was, we couldn't help but feel totally fulfilled. I could see how families ended up going from two to ten.

Sure enough the only sure thing was that time was going too quickly. Marisol was becoming a toddler.

Suzanne was so excited. We could hardly wait to see who Marisol was going to look like.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARISOL!!!

Right away we began teaching her all the things we taught her older sister.

While Stephanie looked just like her mother, Marisol was a little me. I couldn't believe how much we resembled. There never was a prouder father.

All too soon Marisol was celebrating yet another birthday. Where was the time going?

Between work and school we spent as much time together as a family that we could. Supper time was our most cherished. We would talk about our day and discuss all of our future dreams and goals.


My first born was becoming a teenager.


What did she wish for? To go to college? To grow up, get married and have a family? Only she would know.

We cheered and yelled - happy to be celebrating this momentous occasion together.

And of course, she was still as beautiful as her mother.

I could only hope that she was as good a teenager as she had been a child. I wasn't looking forward to boys and first dates. To me and her mother, she was still our "little" girl.

There had been some things on my mind so I decided to ask Suzanne out to dinner to talk them over. Besides, it had been some time since we had been on a real date, just the two of us. I had been wanting to have another baby. Try just once more for a son. Of course I was more than thrilled with our daughters and loved them dearly but really had always hoped of a son to carry on the Stratton name. After all, once I was gone the name would be too.

As you can see it didn't take too much convincing. Suzanne admitted that she too had been wanting one more little one. A son would be wonderful.

On the other hand Suzanne had forgotten how much she didn't enjoy the morning sickness. Fortunately it only lasted through her first trimester. Would we finally have a son? Only time would tell...

(Chapter Three) And Baby Makes Three

After the wedding Suzanne got a job as a Scientist. She was very happy researching and learning more and more.
Things moved quickly for Suzanne and I - more quickly than we had anticipated. But we welcomed the changes all the same. We were ecstatic when we discovered we were going to have a baby!

Nine months passed in what seemed like days. We couldn't believe it was already time for our new bundle of joy to arrive.
Suzanne was in a great deal of pain, I could see - especially as she shouted to me that it was all my fault. I tried to remain calm and help her through this.

And baby made three. Words can't describe the joy I felt when I held my daughter. We joyfully welcomed Stephanie Suzanne Stratton.

Stephanie slept in our room for the first few months. Neither Suzanne or I wanted to be away from her.

Suzanne found a few rare quiet moments for her to study and work on getting a promotion. She thought she was almost ready to go back to work from maternity leave. She had definitely enjoyed it and loved being with our daughter, but she had missed the daily grind.

Steph was "Daddy's Little Girl" for sure. I didn't mind at all changing diapers and all that baby stuff. Suzanne really appreciated it.

We decided with Suzanne going back to work we should hire a nanny. Karen Gast showed up on our door the next day. She was a very kind old lady and we knew right away she would work out great.

Suzanne was anxious to get back into her regular work routine, but still missed Stephanie. She looked forward to when she was able to hold her precious angel!And just as quickly as the pregnancy and birth, it was time for Stephanie's first birthday.Suzanne baked a cake and help Steph up to "blow" the candles out. It was all Stephanie could do not to stick her hands in the pretty flames.Happy Birthday Stephanie!!!Stephanie was growing up to look just like her Mommy. How beautiful she was! She also had a few of her mother's qualities that I was too thrilled with, like being a little sloppy. One of these days I was going to hire a maid. As our lives seem to always do, Stephanie was growing at the speed of light. Suzanne enjoyed teaching her all the wonderful things there were to learn.

Potty training, for some reason, was especially difficult. It took a while, but Stephanie was smart (and stubborn) and we finally did it.Shortly after Suzanne had become a Mad Scientist she came down with the flu. She was violently ill.It was all she could do to stand up. With all the vomiting she had to take time off work. We both were praying that Stephanie wouldn't get sick.Suddenly a thought occured to Suzanne... "Could I be pregnant?" We hadn't really been trying, but then again, we really hadn't not tried.Oh yeah, we were without a doubt pregnant. Baby number two was on the way! Could there be a Mark Jr. coming? I was constantly amazed at what a beautiful little girl Stephanie was. She looked so much like Suzanne I couldn't believe it. If her hair wasn't dark like mine she would have been the spitting image.

Here it was, time again for another birthday. How could time really be going this fast?

For Stephanie's birthday party we invited my frat brothers. Everyone was so excited!!!A young child and another one on the way... could life get any better?

(Chapter Two) Starting a Family of My Own

Fresh out of college I couldn't wait to start my life. Man, did I pick hideous clothes to do it in, or what??? (Believe it or not, it took me a while to change them, too. lol)

I immediately began to work on starting my career. Luckily I quickly found a job in my desired profession, Journalism. (I don't remember what he started out at but it was fairly high up.)

I had earned enough extra money at SSU to build a somewhat small, but comfortable home. It wasn't much but I was definitely far better off than some horror stories I'd heard of freshly graduated Sims living on their lawns. I couldn't imagine...

I quickly impressed my boss and became a Media Magnate in no time. I was saving money and looking forward to asking Suzanne to be my Bride.

Without wasting any time I called Suzanne and asked her to dinner at the finest restaurant in town - Londoste. I placed the recently purchased box on the table. (I guess it couldn't have been to fine - looks like they forgot to pay their heating bill because Mark NEVER took off his winter wear!)

Suzanne had a look of surprise on her face.

"Oh Mark! It's so beautiful!!!"

She put it on her finger and exclaimed, "YES! YES! YES! Of course I'll marry you!"

Full of love and hope we toasted to the life we were just beginning.

Suzanne and I had a small but intimate ceremony. We invited our closest friends from college and of course I'd invited my Urele-Oresha-Cham brothers.

Everyone was so happy for us. They couldn't have been as happy as me. The whole day was filled with promise.

Suzanne had gotten everything she'd dreamed of. I couldn't imagine her looking more beautiful.

What a happy day! Everything was so perfect and we had so much to look forward to. We were married... how soon before we expanded our family? Only time would tell...