Laundering.

I just came upstairs from the basement.

While in the basement, I moved a basket full of newborn baby items, blankets, and bath-time necessities from the washing machine to the dryer...

for the first time.

Well, maybe not the first time ever, as I probably did some baby laundry for my younger sisters when I was growing up (though, I didn't really do laundry back then, so maybe not after all).

As I was dumping items from one appliance to the other, I had this sense of overwhelming excitement. I literally wanted to cry, to laugh, to jump up and down, and to pee my pants, all at the same time.

The official due date is November 2, 2010. But, since I'm 38 weeks pregnant now, our baby could, really, be born any day between now and four weeks from now. Hopefully, it won't be after the due date, though of course, there's a pretty good chance that it could be, statistically.

I know I've talked so many times about my dream of becoming a mommy, ever since I was younger, but as I did this menial task that I have grown to hate (doing laundry) tonight, it hit me like a fly-swatter, quick and snappy, that I'm going to be a mommy, and soon.

That, for lack of a more glitzy term, is simply amazing.

Knowing that the chore is part of a miracle dream coming true makes it much less a nuisance tonight.

Hopefully, that feeling will not fade too far away in the hundreds or thousands of loads of laundry that I will end up washing, drying, folding, and putting away for my son that I will do in the future as well.