It's a bbbbooo.....ggggiiiii....I DONT KNOW!

We STILL don’t know the sex of our precious little belly booger. The only way Matt would agree to finding out is if the ultrasound tech took a picture and wrote the sex on a notecard and sealed it. He said we would find out on our anniversary together: June 2nd. 11 more days!!!!!!!!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
has this been a long pregnancy for anyone else other than me?! sheesh!

But anyway, I scanned in the pictures that we do have (well, some...). They are mostly pictures of that sweet little head (so that it wasnt a dead giveaway i suppose) but the doc said that everything looks “perfect and right on track.” Couldn’t ask for a better reading or a better doc. It was CRAZY and SURREAL to see all the movement, the spine, the ribs, the legs, the hands, etc. He/She is an ACTIVE little booger in there and really likes MUSIC! (duh!) Anytime music is playing little one is GROOVING! I knew it.

TODAY is the day!!!!

Boy or Girl? EEEEK!

speak to the council

My mom always told me that I could try anything out that I wanted. She never forced me to stay in anything growing up, although she encouraged me to be a finisher always. She said that she just wanted me to find “MY THING” and sometimes that took trying out lots of different things. This carried throughout my whole life, thus far. I went from tee-ball, to dance and gymnastics, to basketball, track, fast-pitch softball and volleyball, to cheerleading, swim team, DIVING team and then dance team. I changed my major 6 times in college, did a study away program with internship, moved every single year of my college career, ran a ½ marathon, chaired events, ran for student government, learned music, worked at summer camp, lead music, golf, etc.

The list of my random acts of trying could probably go on, but what I found in each of those things were the uniqueness of people that I came across and how much I wanted to just “hear their story.” Why were they here, why this choice, what’s next, ultimate dreams and ambitions, road blocks they’ve encountered, etc. In search for my own likes, dislikes, ambitions and journey, I found that it’s in talking to and helping others reach that place that is my passion.

I was born in a small town in east Texas and had a fairly normal upbringing. My story really begins, in my opinion, when I was 10 and my dad passed away from brain cancer. In less than 9 months, this difficult disease took him both from our family and from an entire community. To this very day, it is the hardest thing I’ve gone through. I still miss him and feel as though I was robbed a little from really getting to know him. But in a heart-to-heart talk with my Mom after I graduated high school, she said that she didn’t think I would be who I am without going through that loss. In fact, she said she thought I might be a little snobby. How sweet.

But even as a young girl, I found the worth in every person and how great they were to reach out to us in our times of need that it just seemed right to reciprocate. Thus started my passion for giving back.


The question of “Why did you come to Nashville” was and always is a funny question to me. Most people assume that I wanted to make it in music or wanted to "be in the industry," and that I would find my lucky break here. Actually that is the farthest thing from what I wanted to do. When I graduated college and was trying to figure things out there were 3 things that I considered:

1) Move to Lake Tahoe with my friend Robyn and become a ski instructor. I still would like to do that.
2) move to Barcelona and become an ESL teacher. Sounded like a great idea and Barcelona was my favorite out of all the countries and locales I had been. And I'd still like to do that.
3) Move to Nashville, TN and see what transpires. (Keep in mind; I had only been here once in my life…) Somehow Nashville won out. Within a month of making that decision, I was here. Jobless, virtually friendless, and completely lost. Literally. I could NOT figure out which direction Old Hickory really went! When I was going North, I really thought I was heading East or South. I needed landmarks people! Luckily, I made it.


After a few different part time jobs and a position at Thomas Nelson Publishing I was offered my current position at United Way. While I didn’t know it a year ago when I started, I know now that this is a way as a young professional to truly make a difference. My job, my role, is to educate people about the needs in the community. In educating you, I have educated myself more and more about the stories in which we all come from. My passion. You see, no matter where you are, what you are doing, whether you love your job, you hate your job or you are looking for the next thing, where we are as young professionals is important; Important to us, our families and important to our community.


One thing I say in every single meeting that I walk into is that YOU are United Way. The way to live united is to reach out and help the person next to us or the person down the street not because we have to or because anyone is forcing us to, but because that is the right thing to do. If I were down, the last thing I would want you to do is come and drop kick me. And I have been down before: In college after failing a test and falling UP the stairs (yes it is possible!) in front of HUNDREDS of people, I later fell with my lunch in hand in front of a table full of fraternity boys. Lunch was no longer in HAND! (Talk about being drop kicked while I was down!) While they did snicker and I turned red (if not a random shade of purple) they offered me their hand to help me up.

You see our community and how it IS and how it operates is similar to a mutual fund. It is all of us coming together, despite our role and age and whether we are at the bottom or the top, coming together to do what we can to make a difference. The KEYWORD being DO WHAT WE CAN. The truth of the matter is that we ALL have a dollar, an hour, some clothes to give, a meal to give, SOMETHING that we can give back and that is where our mutual fund is. It is ONE connecting with another, and another, and another, and another.

I should add to the list of my “have-dones” that I “majored” (or focused) in high school (if you can really major or focus in anything in high school) in broadcast journalism. I. loved. it. I realized how much I loved being the center of attention;. WOOPS. I MEAN, telling a story to someone. And I wouldn’t do any reports unless I had participated in what I was talking about. If it was a report on powder puff football, then I played. If it was a story on skipping class, then I tried it out. I wouldn’t come here and talk to you or anyone without knowing what I was talking about or rather WHO I was talking about. When I first started my job at United Way, it was important to me to know the people, the agencies, and the programs that I was representing. While I could tell you story after story today about the lives that I saw affected positively here in our community, my time is limited and so I will only tell a couple:

There is a 33 acre farm heading towards Leaper’s Fork called The Center for Living and Learning. This residential and vocational program was started by Fran Clippard and her family when they saw her brother Donald go thru the beginning stages of schizophrenia. Seeing anyone that we love go thru anything difficult is always hard (we can all attest to that), but when they are more or less shunned from society, misunderstood and “professionals” say the only cure is really for them to be put away, I can imagine it’s even more difficult. This center was created for individuals who deal with progressive and consistent struggles such as schizophrenia and severe bi-polarism and have somewhat lost the ability to do things on their own. So in this residential and vocational program, they teach them the skills they need to hold a job, they teach them horticulture, how to be diligent workers, to live in community with each other, how to take care of themselves again, etc. As I was walking around with Fran seeing the grounds, the house, the green houses, the gardens, the job training building, the barns, the location for the new housing so that they can help more people, we were talking and Fran started to cry. She said, “Jenna, there is NO WAY. Absolutely NO WAY we would be able to do this if it weren’t for our community, United Way donors, who gives back. We would not exist. These people, MY BROTHER, would be who knows where with no one helping them, no one looking out for them or even treating them or giving them the life they deserves; that we all deserve.”

Second story: An apartment complex in Franklin called me last September and said “We want to do something. We have a small staff and can’t expend much time, but we want to be able to do something. Can you connect us?” Of course I can! So I connected their staff with Meals on Wheels. For those of you who don’t know, Meals on Wheels provides nutritious meals, even pet food and books, to homebound seniors and others to help them maintain dignity, restore and maintain good health and help them remain in their own home as long as possible. So Abby and her crew went to the Meals on Wheels kitchen, helped prepare all the meals and loaded up to deliver on the routes. She called me later that evening crying. She said “Jenna, I had no idea the needs that are right here in our back yard!” She said “We were in the middle of tons of beautiful homes and pulled up to a house that looked a little run down. We went to the front door, and saw a man living on essentially a dirt floor. He came to the door with nothing but a shirt on and we talked to him for a few and he said that the last meal he ate was when Meals on Wheels came the last time. 2 days ago.” Breaks your heart to know that there are people going hungry right here in our backyards. But people like you provide HOPE. Every single day.


I feel as though we have lost some of the passing down of being philanthropic. With every generation, we become more and more about ME. We don’t become givers to our community until we have kids that are running around or when our parents are considered elderly or when tragedy hits us or close to us. The "giving back" isn’t ingrained into our character. And character isn’t something that we are born with. You create your character just like you create your reputation. The truth is that an apple tree does not eat the apples that it produces. It produces the apples for someone or something else. Same goes for you. Your giftings, talents, abilities and even your passions really aren’t FOR you (while you might enjoy them.) You are to use them for someone else. Why not infuse what you have to give with improving our community every day? Why not take the things that we have to share and do just that: share. Character is the inward motivation to do what is right. As young professionals in our companies, our families and our communities, we have the ability to make a difference and to do what is right but so many times that opportunity passes us by. Don't let it pass you by.

I close with this: connect that thing that you are passionate about with the greater need that lies in our community. You have a voice. You have a say so. You can make a difference whether big or small and sometimes we need to be reminded of that. You matter. Each and every one of us, no matter where we are in life’s journey or what our economic level or role in our companies have hopes that tomorrow will bring something brighter for those we care about and for ourselves. I believe that hope comes from seeing opportunities that if accepted can lead to the realization of those hopes and dreams. We all win when children succeed in school, neighborhoods get turned around, families have good health and everyone has a solid job. Whatever it is that drives you, that excites you, that you desire to do and make a difference, you can do it. Connect that with wherever you are. Rally up with your neighbors and know that you have a story to share with someone. You just have to do it.
(you just read a speech i made for the Young Professionals Council on connecting your passion to the community.)

"I Dream of Weenie"

While walking around East Nashville on Saturday, we stumbled upon a Nashville original. I can honestly say, that this is the first time in my life i have EVER seen a "full service weenery" restaurant where you walk up and buy the most creative "weenies" (i.e. HOT DOGS) possible. I must say, i am a fan. It was fantastic.

Can i say that i was a little disappointed that there were no corndogs? One would think that a full service weenery would have a CORN WEENIE!

Sidenote story: I said [when we are looking for this place], "You know, i could search it on my phone, but i am really worried about what searches this would bring up, and how this could come back to haunt me when i get my phone bill." Seriously Jenna, what are you doing on your phone?! ha!

thanks for the award!!

HOW FUN! My first award! Thanks to Jessica at Mommy Needs Coffee for this award she is great! go check her out..And i would like to thank the Academy...you guys are great...really...

Anyway, there are stipulations this award:

"With this award you are to explain why you heart to blog, so here goes":

I started to blog in 2007 for i don't know why. I ran across some friends' blogs and thought it was so cool and artsy and deep of them, AND they updated about their life as newlyweds, etc. So it was my attempt at being a deep thinker.
Then i quickly remembered & realized that i am not so great at deep thinking but i have a really funny life and for some reason people are interested...so thus is how the Quirk began.

I give this award to the following bloggie buddies and you must go check them out!

1. my amazing friend DEEANN who is an incredible artist. (GO BUY HER STUFF!)
2. my sweet friend TALLY who makes awesome custom designed jewelry
3. my "deep thinker" friend SARAH. She does enough for the both of us. You go get it Sal!

P.S. THIS IS MY 100th POST!
I wish i had a giveaway or something. Let me see what i can come up with...suggestions?

My husband feeding the cravings

i have the world's sweetest husband.

not only did he go to the store for me when i was too tired to do anything, but he "fed" the only craving i have had in almost 18 weeks:
yuuuuuuum. i know what is for dinner tonight!!

P.S. 2 other posts this weekend! Scroll down!

heartbeat

these videos are back at week 11 and 14 but still a great sound to hear.

and one more:

such a proud mom. :)

"YOU ARE HUGE!"

Why, oh why does the weirdness in people come out when you are pregnant? I mean seriously, do people lose all control of their mouth and say the things you would NEVER say to a NON-preggo person? It's like trying to give double fudge brownies to someone on a diet! You just don't do it! R-E-S-P-E-C-T. COME ON PEOPLE!
I submit the answer is a resounding YES.
And I have examples. Keep in mind that I am 17 weeks pregnant right now. Happy as a lark. Barely gained any weight. (4 lbs in 4 months!) Clothes all still fit (for the most part, minus the busting pants, but that is another blog for another time…) All things going well. Apparently that means people can say things like this:

A few weeks ago, somewhere in between week 13 and 14 of baby growing, I was at church. A lady that I know quite well (and love dearly!) turned around to me. After chit-chatting about the church service, how things are going, work, etc, she says with a circular motion “Your face…It looks fuller…But its OK! You are pregnant!”

Uh, ummm, uhhhhh, ooooookay…Thank you?!?!
Seriously at a loss for words. Still am really…

And was the circular motion pointed directly around my face necessary? Ugh.
Does anyone EVER want to hear that their face looks fuller? No.
Should anyone EVER say that to ANYONE regardless of their child growing or lack there of?! Uh, No. Thankyouverymuchkindsir…

Secondly: (oh you thought that was it? No No No. I am not even halfway thru with pregnancy. Many more moments I am sure will arise.)

This past week while leaving church, I see a lady (what is it with the church ladies?!) I have gotten to know a bit over the past few months. Super sweet chick with great kiddos that are way fun to play with. While standing there talking she says “You look like you are carrying like it is a girl.” (circular motion pointed at the belly region...)

My exact words were “AM I SHOWING??!! When did that happen?! The baby is like 5 ounces right now. I didn’t think I was 'carrying' anything, really, relatively speaking that is!”

(Oops. Should I have said all of that? WHAT IS WITH THE POINTING AND CIRCLES!?!?)
I am a firm believer that people just want their input on your pregnancy, which i am, for the most part, OK with. If you want to guess it is a girl, say “I THINK YOU ARE HAVING A GIRL!” Sheesh. So funny these folks. (And for the record, what is with the belly touching when there is no belly?!!? you are THAT close to my boobs people...)

It is kinda like telling someone who is 8 months pregnant that they are HUGE. Thank you?!!? That is so SWEET?!?! Oh really?!?! AM I HUGE?! AM I?!?!

Oh the joys.
(and that is my tangent for the day.)

so guesses?! Who thinks it is a boy? Who thinks a girl? Only 3 more weeks till we find out and i love the guessing!
I feel like i have been pregnant for 10 years...

rubberbands make my pants fit

sorry in advance about the crotch shot, but i thought you should see how i had to MAKE my pants fit today while at work. (the buttons were CRUSHING my belly!) That is right: rubberbands.

It has begun.

(15 weeks pregnant now. I am feeling more and more pregnanty...)

spring chickens

we baked. we iced. we conquered.

had a little project this weekend.

Remember the cake balls incident? And then the disaster of the Christmas crafts?

well this weekend, i must say, the cake balls were CONQUERED.

I laugh in the face of cake baking trying to defeat me!

more pictures of the process later, but in the meantime, let me share with you a few of the spring chickens that we made. (These are from my phone, so please excuse the quality.)

SAUCiness

that's right! lil' ole me is SAUCY this week. As if you didn't know... I woke up to the wonderful surprise that my little bloggy blog was chosen by the SITs girls as a "Saucy Blog". YAY!!

So welcome friends. Come one, come all. Read up, read down. Lots of exciting things going on around here. Imagine you and me, sitting down with a cup of java and a crumpet, just chatting away. I actually don't really know what a crumpet is, it just sounded good...

For my new friends, let's get to know each other. and let's get together, yea yea yea? sure... Here are a few of my favorite recent posts:
Ever been hungry? Sheesh...

I have some exciting news!

All the stories you never wanted to know about me...

People just look funny playing Wii...

My favorite Past time...
there are MANY more. feel free to poke around and leave me lots and lots of love today. After all, it is a Monday. :)

be saucy today! Forget the weather and work...

went canoeing and i need a tan

we went canoeing on the Harpeth river this weekend with two of our favorite people. It was PERFECT weather for it and we had such a great time. I did MOST of the paddling and Matt fished the whole time from the back of the canoe. He said that was his attempt to let me exercise since i said i wanted a "FIT PREGNANCY". HA! What a punkin he is to let me do the work for the sake of a healthy body and baby.

unfortunately, despite my attempts and best efforts, i didn't get a tan. hopefully with lots of outside time coming, so will my olive skin come back to me...

i really have no idea what i am doing here. FLYING to the canoe? sure...

just taking one for the team and fishing...that's my boy...

ewwww Katelyn...

sea shells on the river? sure...

10 weeks and at a loss for words

everyday i have tried to think of something really great and cool and interesting and witty to write about, but i come up empty! I could talk about my exhaustion...doesn't that sound fun? please...read on. What can i say? I am boring these days! But luckily, I am 10 weeks PREGNATO, which means my mountain is almost over! :)

I could tell you how i feel just fine and dandy and then all of a sudden it is like i am a narcoleptic who passes out and I either wake up at 3am to go to the bathroom and i am on the couch in the dark or mysteriously i made it to my bed with no bumps or bruises where my husband is comfortably sleeping...couldn't tell you how or why i got there.

Or i fall asleep at my friends' house. which is just as awesome and not embarrassing!

butthatdoesntsoundlikeafunsubjecttotalkabout.

I could continue to tell you all that i have been eating (and how 15 minutes after I am done snacking, it is like i haven't eaten in 8 hours...) and how a healthy pregnancy you gain 15-25 pounds and i am sure i am halfway there...at 10 weeks...but that doesn't sound fun either.

instead, i will resort to showing you another picture of my growing baby and how cool it was it see little one MOVING!!!! It was SO CRAZY looking at this picture of a life that is growing inside of me and see little legs and hands moving and then the HEAD TURN! WHOA.

that was nuts & crazy.

that is going to be one sweet, adorable little booger...

carrying a trunk up this mountain

I am literally hungry all day. I can’t stop I tell you. If I am eating I am happy and if I am not, I am sick. Let me give you a run down of what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast before work: low fat yogurt with strawberries and blueberries and a cup of OJ
Water all morning.
At work mid morning snack: 2 pieces of whole grain toast with apple butter on them
(Maybe a Reese’s peanut butter cup here or there…it was a small one)
Water.
Home for lunch: wheat thins and pimento cheese, carrot sticks and broccoli florets, and two (whoops!) corn dogs
(and maybe a 2 Hershey kisses for dessert)
Water.
Apple slices for a mid afternoon snack
Fresh strawberries for a pre-work out snack.
More carrots when I got home from working out
A turkey sandwich with cheese and reduced fat wheat thins for dinner, plus those yummy yummy pirouette thingies. (You know they are long, and waffery and have chocolate in the middle and you are suppose to put them with ice cream or coffee or something and they are the width of your pinky but as long as a new pencil. I think I ate about 6 of those. Don’t judge me…i don't normally eat this much. it's all new to me)
OJ before bed and saltines by the bedside.

SHEESH!!!!! This pregnancy stuff is hard! Hopefully it will be better come 2nd trimester.
My girlfriend Katelyn said that the first trimester is similar to climbing a mountain. A mountain with a backpack of snacks I would say which makes it even harder.
It seems like I am carrying a trunk up this mountain!
I summit on March 19th…

I am the little engine that could. Ithinkican, Ithinkican, i thinkican, ithinkican, I KNOW I CAN!
did i mention i am tired?

please tell me you have watched Flight of the Concords

this show is so funny. this one was on last night and made me giggle.

i hate laundry

i hate doing laundry. i really really really do. This is the view of my bed on Saturday from all the clean clothes that i had to put up. Happy Valentine's Day to me huh? OHMIGOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!

i need a laundry-putter-upper.

i would rather scrub a toilet.

ok, seriously, it is time to come clean

so, i have been so busy at work these days that i have had next to ZERO time to talk to you. how i have missed you friend.
How are you?
What is new with you?
what is going on in your life?


Oh! right! By the way, I am PREGO!!! my bad. did i forget to say that?
Our little booger is 8 weeks along and is due to enter the Cox world on October 1!
Yay for babies!
And remember this? Nashville told me something...

i love love

i must admit that i don't care too much about Valentine's Day as far as spending money, dressing up and going out and getting presents go. Although, i ALWAYS love the cheesy valentine cards that you would hand out in grade school....and candy...lots and lots of it.

In my belief, i should get presents at least once a WEEK, so Valentine's day in my opinion is just another ploy to get us to spend money. who is with me on the lots of presents swing?

BUT, i have to say, i have forever the best Valentine. He is great and sweet and wonderful and adorable and loving and caring and awesome and a great cuddle buddy. This is all i want to do today with him:

and this:

and this:

I will never forget one of my college roommates saying "i LOVE love!" the whole thought of being in love and sharing that with another person, and i have to say, today i am filled with love for my love!
So today, I honor him:
I LOVE YOU MATTHEW RYAN COX!

And here is my question for you, faithful blog reader:
what are your valentine traditions that i should steal and incorporate?

i heart revolution

this just might rock you to the core.



and i hope it does

sometimes i dont know what to tell you

i am at a loss for words.

i turned 26 on Sunday.

Is this what i have to look forward to?

Forgetting? Can't think of what to say?

I will share with you this:

i hugged Billy Graham. Well, sorta.

Birthday, Superbowl Party and weekend with BFF coming later. stay tuned.