Parenthood (No not the show)

So I've been thinking lately about parenthood - I know, I know so original when you have a new baby. I've been trying to figure out what is an appropriate parenting style for Spencer and I.  Okay that sounds like I've been trying to solve the world's problems in an afternoon.  Really, what I've been trying to sort through is how much do I want my kids (assuming Noah isn't the only cute little baby we decide to parent) to be along for the ride and how much do I want to adjust my life to revolve around them.  Wow my words aren't doing justice to what's in my head.  Basically, do we want to be the kind of parents who keep doing approximately what we were doing before we had kids and just bring Noah with us everywhere or do we want to be the kind of parents who decide parenthood is going to be our main thing for awhile and we're going to put our pre baby life on the back burner.  Words still not doing it justice, oh well.  

I get that there is no way to do just entirely one way or the other without having a starving, exhausted baby or ending up a depressed, divorced single parent.  I'm not really talking about the extremes right now.  But what about a random thursday night.  Do we stay home and put Noah to sleep around 7:45 pm because he now sleeps better in his own room than anywhere else and then maybe watch a movie or play cards or do a house project and just lounge around the house or do we strap Noah in the ergo and go back to our crazy paced life of social things almost every night of the week just with baby and the giant diaper bag in toe?  I guess there is a third option if you are really rich or the prince of England - bring on the full time nanny that changes all the diapers and also goes on vacations with you!!  Okay back to reality . . .  

I guess this weekend got me thinking about it because we decided to take the babe to my sister's and aunt's cabin in the middle of nowhere Arkansas.  We packed up a bunch of baby stuff and then we pretty much took Noah along for the ride. It wasn't too bad, but he also slept in till almost 9:30 this morning because the poor little guy was so exhausted from tramping around the woods all weekend long.  We just decided to strap him on while we hiked a crazy frisbee golf course at Horse Shoe Canyon while it was 90 degrees and sunny out and then later went swimming in the Buffalo river and all this was after an afternoon and night of passing him around to all of Rach's friends while we cooked a giant mexican feast and then later sat out by a bonfire under the stars. It definitely required more upfront planning than our normal pre baby weekend spur of the moment getaways, but I think I prefer that to not going anywhere.  I think.  But again, I'm still thinking about it all :).

And also I realize that maybe you can get away with taking the first kid along for the ride but by the time kid number 2 rolls around it gets a lot harder.  And maybe two is still sort of doable and that's why so many people have 2?  I'm telling you I have way too much time on my hands to think right now.

Any thoughts? Is this just a personality thing?  I don't like being home all day so my kid better not like being home all day either? I love the go, go, go so I'm going to bring my kid along for the ride? Or is it selfish to drag the little guy everywhere instead of letting him nap peacefully in his swing every afternoon?   Or is this more of a lifestyle choice that you just get to make.  Yeah for being an adult.  Sometimes it is still just so odd that I can be making these decisions for myself . . .

Oh and total fail on taking pictures for the weekend.  So much for documenting Noah's first swimming experience.  Apparently having no cell service also means I never carry my phone and don't take any pictures.  The only picture from the weekend is a hilarious picture of Noah's pacifier sitting on top of a pack of cigs.  Okay maybe that was only funny if you were there :).