Had I not gone through the struggles and the obstacles I had, I would not be as strong as I am today. I believe those impediments have forged, shaped, and strengthened my character.

When I ran away from the 'Octomom' persona, I went right back into my healthy lifestyle.

I was selfish and immature. I never wanted the attention. There were helicopters flying over the hospital while I was giving birth.

I'm damned if I do what I need to do with the media to support my kids, and I'm damned if I don't. If I don't, I can't take care of them.

I have PTSD from all the reporters coming in over the years.

I'm a raw vegan, and I perceive pharmaceuticals to be poison.

I haven't felt my toes on my foot on the right side for many years, and my fingers are numb all the time every day.

I've always wanted a big family - not this big!

My older six are animals.

I only had one boyfriend my whole life, and I never loved him.

I hate babies.

I do not like babies who cry.

My biggest challenge is my severely autistic son.

As 'Octomom,' I was the walking dead. When I woke up and I went back to my roots, my helping profession, and my kids, we were struggling financially, but it didn't matter. I never felt so free and so happy in my life.

What bothers me and hurts me is the fact that people assumed I was a bad mom.

That was always a dream of mine, to have a large family, a huge family.

I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that I really lacked, I believe, growing up.

I didn't feel as though, when I was a child, I had much control of my environment. I felt powerless. And that gave me a sense of predictability.

Reflecting back on my childhood, I know it wasn't functional. It was pretty, pretty dysfunctional, and whose isn't?

I wanted to be a mom. That's all I ever wanted in my life.

I love my children.

I learn more from my kids then I have any professor in all my life.

There's probably one man out of 6.6 million in the world for me.

I never wanted this... to be in the public eye.

Everything a parent chooses to do in their life will forever haunt their kids.

I screwed up my life. I screwed up my kids' lives.

I never coined the term 'Octomom.'

I have embraced every day with gratitude.

Struggle is the best teacher.

My calling was to be a mom.

I am happiest at home with the kids.

Is it fair to have a bunch of kids help solve your emotional issues? Of course not.

Kids love you unconditionally.

I am hated in my hometown.

Every single thing I do... is just me surviving.

I look back in retrospect, and I would never say I regret not one of my children. They are why I live.

I personally do not believe I'm irresponsible.

Everything I do revolves around my children.

My mom, we had a relationship. I knew she loved me. I always knew she loved me. But she didn't, openly or overtly, express, you know, affection and love.

I was very unconditionally loved and accepted, I felt, by my father.

I have been compelled to dig deep inside and pull out strengths I never knew I possessed in order to protect my family.

I am not a victim. I do not blame anyone for the circumstances of my life.

That's exactly what Octomom is: a carnival attraction.

I've done things in the media I was not only not proud of, I was ashamed of.

I journal at four or five in the morning.

I was more or less a carnival attraction. I was a freak show.

The kids say, 'Oh are we weird somehow?' and I say, 'It's OK to be different.'

I need the help of my nannies, but I don't want my children being raised in something that resembles a group home.

I own full responsibility for providing for my children.

I'm not a celebrity.