My Monthly Recap – July 2020

It’s time for another monthly recap. Take a peek at previous recaps here!

highlights

July felt like the biggest waiting game ever as we awaited the arrival of our sweet baby boy! Most of the month was spent tying up loose ends, making sure we had everything we needed and not-so-patiently waiting for him to arrive! Nick surprised me with a date night at the beginning of July and it was a much-needed night out. Due to COVID and being pregnant we had been extremely cautious. Even though things had started opening up in North Carolina, we hadn’t had a date night or gone out to eat since March. He did some research on local restaurants that were taking extra precautions and surprised me with dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, 1618 West! I actually cried because we were *finally* able to get one last date night in. When we first got pregnant we envisioned going to all of our favorite date night spots before baby and since that wasn’t possible, this date night felt extra special. Sometimes it’s the little things, you know?

home

This month ended up being a little chaotic when it came to home projects. A few things had been pushed back for months due to COVID, so we used this month to tackle some last minute items. We got all new appliances for our kitchen. When we purchased our home to came with white appliances (gross!). We knew we wanted to upgrade them, so we finally decided to do it! We went with a stainless steel French door refrigerator and upgraded the rest of our appliances and it made such a big difference. We still have a ways to go with updating our kitchen, but it’s a start! We also painted our entire downstairs. We now have freshly painted white trim (instead of cream… ugh) and our walls are Sherwin Williams Repose Grey.

books I read this month

I was a bit pre-occupied this month but managed to read five really great books! I read a backlist title that had been on my shelf forever and a few highly anticipated books! My favorites were Dear Emmie Blue and Party of Two. You can see my reviews of them here.

what I purchased

I officially hit the point in quarantine where I bought a few really, really random things haha! Anyone else done that so far? My random purchases:

Birkenstocks | I loved my clogs back in middle school and really wanted a pair of the sandals that I could easily throw on for walks and errands but would still feel supportive. I ordered my normal size but needed to go down one, so I’m anxiously waiting for the new size to arrive. I hope I like them!
Biker Shorts | All of my friends have raved about their biker shorts purchases, so I gave in finally! I think they will be great for walks since it’s been so hot here lately.

baby Wilkinson

Our sweet baby boy, Noah James Wilkinson, made his entrance into the world on July 21, 2020 and our lives have been infinitely better ever since! We have been adjusting to life as a family of three these last two weeks and soaking up all of the newborn cuddles. I have been learning how to breastfeed and the best way to care of myself postpartum and I finally feel like we’re getting into a good rhythm with both! I can’t wait to share his birth story with you soon! We feel so lucky to have been blessed with a baby boy and that we were chosen to be his parents.

favorite blog posts on Life with Emily

Our Maternity Photos & A Note to Our Son | this post gives me all the feels!
What I’m Packing in My Hospital Bag | shared what I packed for the hospital – will do an updated post on what we did/didn’t use!
Third Trimester Recap + Q&A | I dished on all the details from my third trimester and how I really felt!

favorite posts I read this month

Strawberry Lemon Frosé recipe | this sounds so delightful for those hot summer days! I will be making this ASAP!
How I Work from Home with a Baby | Cathy’s post has me taking notes for working from home with Noah!
Summer Amazon Purchases | anyone else go down the Amazon rabbit hole during quarantine?! I have ordered so many random, but useful things! Adding these to my list!

current favorites on repeat

• BEAUTY: Most days I am makeup free, but I like to keep my skin feeling hydrated with this face oil. If I put any makeup on I’m typically wearing this CC cream and this mascara to feel a little “normal.”
• CLOTHING: Y’all I have been living in my lululemon align leggings around the house. They were my go-to leggings during pregnancy (my normal size fit all the way through 40 weeks!) and I love them just as much now!
• TV SHOWS: We started Friday Night Lights right before Noah was born! We are still on season one, but I *think* I totally get the hype!
• PODCAST: I have been tuning in to Be There in Five – she has so many great episodes that will have you taking deep dives into Mormon influencer culture, random trends from the 90s and more! I love listening to it.
• AUDIOBIOOK: I have been doing a mix of listening and reading to The Heir Affair. I loved The Royal We and this sequel is just as good!
• CURRENTLY READING: I am almost finished with The Wife Stalker and it’s such a page turner!