Having a Kid or Apprehension for the future

Well, I'm having a kid. I've known now for a while and it's definitely a new stage in my life. I can't say that I reacted well to the news at first, but like most things that happen to you throughout the course of your life, you just have to deal with it and move on. Being 30 now, there is no real reason to avoid this plunge other than pure selfishness. I know that biologically, we are on this planet to "be fruitful and multiply," but that doesn't mean that I was planning on doing this right away. I had figured that I'd get around to it eventually, after having done some of the things that I wanted to before being "saddled down" with a family. Things like teaching abroad or traveling for longer than a week. Then again, I had plenty of time to do those things already and I haven't, so maybe it's my own fault. We know the kid is going to be a boy, which is a very good thing. My brother has two girls, so the family bloodline needs something to continue it's trajectory through existence. (Yes I am aware that girls carry the bloodline as well.) It should be fun to raise a kid (after all the gross stages are done) if only that it means that I can bend and shape his perceptions in any way I see fit! Also, to have someone to avoid the mistakes I made and hopefully improve upon my poor choices and paths. It's like Ian 2.0! I have many of my favourite shows from my childhood on DVD for him to grow up with, and I can expose him to the movies and books that shaped me, this time with added context. That's going to be fun. But with all that in mind, I am still a tad apprehensive. Am I now stuck in the place that I am? Not just Winnipeg, but in terms of risk taking/adventure undertaking? Now I will have a family to worry about/support and can't really go on whatever whim I have. Not that I was really much of a risk taking, whim follower anyway, but that avenue is shutting rapidly. Also, is this effectively the end of my, albeit small, social life? I now have that problem of "needing a sitter" before you can do anything. I hate being tied down forcibly and that is a pretty big weight. Then again, I have 2 sets of grandparents to lean on, so hopefully things can be worked out enough to not fall into the trap of never seeing your friends anymore after having a kid. If anyone can avoid following the traditional routes of losing former life status, it's me. I'm pretty much the king of that. I certainly never abandoned my old friends once I had a serious relationship, so why would a kid change that... right?
One of the other things bothering me is that I hate my current job. I'm only there to have steady income, as I am not the kind of person to exist on sporadic employment. I much prefer the comfort of a regular paycheck. That said, I hate where I am. I'm not sure that I can really afford to quit again, as that leaves me in a financially precarious position. With someone relying on you to feed and clothe them, it's harder to make that kind of choice. What I'd like is for writing and/or directing to be able to support everything. I'm not confident in my skills at either to really feel that this is a viable option at this time. I'm trying to keep writing in order to have something saleable, but the industry is such a crazy random who you know kind of place that I may be wasting my time. Simply writing and filming my own stuff is rewarding creatively for sure, but it's not exactly going to pay any bills. The distribution and financial system of the film business is so messed up right now, that few people outside of the big studios are making any money at all. Maybe I should try adapting my scripts to novels? Then again, I'm not sure people are really making money there either... Oh well, I'm sure the answer will present itself in due time, like all things.
The one positive I see coming, is that we've planned for me to take 6 months of paternity leave. Erin does not want to, nor could she take a full year off. I'm more than happy to avoid working and 6 months away from the rat race could be a nice change. Then again, I will be making MUCH less money and may find it hard to keep up the current lifestyle. Not that I'm living on fancy champagne or anything, but I do enjoy going out to eat and concerts and whatnot. Again, a situation in the future that I will deal with at a later date. That 6 months will do wonders for allowing me to catch up on DVD watching though. I've got a pretty big backlog of shows and movies just waiting for my viewing. The pile gets bigger every month as well.
Well, that's just a little bit o' rambling for now, perhaps I will return soon.