(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...