Applicable quotes from the first 7 chapters.

"Every woman I've ever met feels it – something deeper than just the sense of failing at what she does. An underlying gut feeling at failing at who she is. I am not enough, and I am too much at the same time.”

“We feel unseen, even by those who are closest to us. We feel unsought – that no one has the passion or the courage to pursue us, to get past our messiness to find the woman deep inside.”

“I simply loved feeling wanted and fought for. This desire is set deep in the heart of every little girl – and every woman. Yet most of us are ashamed of it. We downplay it. We pretend that it is less than it is.”

“Most women define themselves in terms of their relationships, and the quality they deem those relationships to have. I am a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend. Or, I am alone.”

“Most women do not feel they are playing an irreplaceable role in a great story. Oh, no. We struggle to know if we matter at all.”

“Most women hate their vulnerability. We are not inviting – we are guarded. Most of our energy is spent trying to hide our true selves, and control our worlds to have some sense of security.”

“Every woman knows now that she is not what she is meant to be. And fears that soon it will be known – if it hasn’t already been discovered – and that she will be abandoned. Left alone to die a death of the heart. That’s a woman’s worst fear – abandonment.”

“Shame is what makes us look away, so we avoid eye contact with strangers and friends. Shame is that feeling that haunts us, the sense that if someone really knew us, they would shake their heads in disgust and run away. Shem makes us feel, no, believe, that we do not measure up – not to the world’s standards, the church’s standards, or our own.”

“We don’t feel that we are irreplaceable, so we try and make ourselves useful. We don’t believe we are beautiful, so we work hard to be outwardly beautiful or we “let ourselves go” and hide behind a persona that has no allure. We try so hard, and in so many ways, to protect our hearts from further pain.”

“What is this thing [in most men] that just doesn’t want to go deep into a woman’s world? You are too much. To hard. It’s too much work. Men are simpler. Easier. And isn’t that just the message you’ve lived with all your life as a woman? “You’re too much, and not enough. You’re just not worth the effort.” (And why is it such an effort? There must be something wrong with you.)”

“Back off, or Leave her alone, or You don’t really want to go there – she’ll be too much for you is something Satan has set against every woman from birth. It’s the emotional and spiritual equivalent of leaving a little girl by the side of the road to die. And to every woman he has whispered, You are alone, or, When they see who you really are, you will be alone, or No one will ever truly come for you.”

“But the truth is, he is afraid. He fears that having delved into his woman’s world, he won’t have what it takes to help her there. That is his sin. That is his cowardice. And because of her shame, most of the time a man gets away with it. Most marriages (and long-term dating relationships) reach this sort of unspoken settlement. “I’m not coming any closer. This is as far as I’m willing to go. But, I won’t leave, and that ought to make you happy.” And so there is this sort of détente, a cordial agreement to live only so close.”

“Part of the reason women are so tired is because we are spending so much energy trying to “keep it together.” So much energy devoted to suppressing pain and keeping a good appearance.”

“We all still need to know, Do you see me? Am I captivating? Di I have beauty all my own?”

Quotes are so much easier than trying to put words to how you're feeling. It's the easy way out, but a way out nonetheless.

“If we were the share our lives together, why didn't we share our lives together. I know you don't have to tell me everything, but why wouldn't you want to? Unless there is someone else you are waiting for.”

– It's over. Why can't you just let it go?
– I can't.
– Why?
– Because I was happy. Because if this theory is wrong, men don't leave all women, they leave me.
– I know it hurts. I know. It's so hard to believe that something that wonderful can ever happen to us again.

– How's your heart?
– It's a little bit broken.

“Nothing that a bottle of Jack and a straight razor won't fix.”

– Love is not always that easy.
– Nothing worth getting ever is.

– You know, I may never be alone with you again. So about that day you packed, why'd you do it?
– We were so young. We both had tempers, we said stupid things so I packed. Got on my very first 747, and you didn't come after me.
– I didn't know that you wanted me to.

– I came to find you.
– You did?
– Yeah, I'm making the big gesture.

“Love is passion, obsession, someone you can't live without. If you don't start with that, what are you going to end up with? Fall head over heels. I say find someone you can love like crazy and who'll love you the same way back. And how do you find him? Forget your head and listen to your heart. I'm not hearing any heart. Run the risk, if you get hurt, you'll come back. Because, the truth is there is no sense living your life without this. To make the journey and not fall deeply in love - well, you haven't lived a life at all. You have to try. Because if you haven't tried, you haven't lived.”

“A clean break is easier. You can reset it, and it heals, and you move on, but if you leave things messy, and things don't get put right, then it just hurts, forever.”

- Do you know the most surprising thing about divorce? It doesn't actually kill you. Like a bullet to the heart or a head-on car wreck. It should. When someone you've promised to cherish till death do you part says "I never loved you," it should kill you instantly. You shouldn't have to wake up day after day after that, trying to understand how in the world you didn't know. The light just never went on, you know. I must have known, of course, but I was too scared to see the truth. Then fear just makes you so stupid.
- No, it's not stupid, Signora Mayes. L'amore e cieco.
- Oh, love is blind. Yeah, we have that saying too.
- Everybody has that saying because it's true everywhere.

- Well is it love, big love, or great love?
- What do you mean?
- Well, love you get over in two months, big love you get over in two years, and great love, well great love... changes your life. So which one is it?
- Oh my god, it's great love.
- Yeah, that's just great.

"Like do you know she has six smiles? One when something really makes her laugh. One when she's making plans. One when she is laughing out of politeness. One when she is uncomfortable. One when she is making fun of herself. And one when... she's talking about her friends."

Allana Ann McQuoid was born on July 24, 2006 at 12:40pm. She was 9 lbs. 3 oz and 20" long. Needless to say, she was a big baby. But, her mother is 5' 11" and her father is a big guy, so she follows in her parents footsteps.

There was so much love in one room today, that it just simply took your breath away. You could just see it written all over Abby's face as she held her daughter. You could just tell how much Abby meant to both of them as they were talking. Both parents were tired after not having any sleep for 48 hours, but they were both very much at peace. There was defniitely no question of how much they loved each other and their daugher. Drew, Paula (Drew's mom) and Abby talked about the delivery. Paula is a nurse, but she'd never been present for a delivery. Drew was telling about a few of the contractions that hurt really bad and he said "the worst part was I couldn't do anything. I just wanted her not to hurt anymore. It almost made me cry." And Paula told about how much of a miracle a birth is and the fact that there were no complications at all with the delivery.

Allana is simply perfect. Her head is almost perfectly round and when she looks like she's about to cry she squishes her face together and turns a little pink. She couldn't be more beautiful and her parents couldn't love her more. There were moments when everyone in the room just sat and looked at the baby because she was just so precious. Drew said it was just so amazing to finally see what she looked like after nine months and in spite of being sore, Abby had the radiant glow of a new mother. It was as if just looking at her and the baby could melt all the worries away even if it was only for a moment.

Below are a few pictures. To see all of them click here.

Abby & Allana

The McQuoids!

Safety

Beautiful Blue-green Eyes