Ciara has upped the game when it comes to pregnancy photos.
The 31-year-old R&B star, who is expecting her first child with husband Russell Wilson, recently posed for a series of sultry shots for HarpersBazaar.com — including a topless pose in which her beautiful baby bump can be seen on full display.
In the article, Ciara played coy about her upcoming due date — only saying that she has two babies on the way: “I got this baby and my album,” she said.
But when she does give birth, her 2½-year-old son Future Zahir (from a previous relationship with rapper Future) is ready to be a big brother.
“He’ll randomly pull my shirt up and be like, ‘I want to see the baby,’” Ciara said, of Future Jr.’s excitement. “‘Hello, baby. How you doing, baby? I love you, baby. Okay, talk to you later, baby. Bye, bye.’ Then he’ll kiss me on my belly and put my shirt back down.”
She told the publication that Future, Jr. taught her about the strength that can come in embracing ones vulnerability. “Once you’re able to really be truly truthful with yourself, it’s life changing,” she said. “You have way more compassion than you imagine, you’re sensitive to the right things.”
Having the support of Wilson has been a positive in Ciara’s life as well. She calls the 28-year-old Seattle Seahawks quarterback her “champion.”
“If someone’s not supporting you and your vision and your dreams — whether it’s your relationship partner, your friend, whomever — then you’ve got to make sure to keep it moving,” she said. “If people aren’t lifting you up, even if you’re the strongest person in the world, eventually it does chip away at you. You don’t even realize that you’re losing yourself. And that’s the scariest place to be in life.”
Ciara doesn’t plan on going back to that place in life anytime soon. “I don’t want to lose myself,” she said. “I love myself too much. I love life too much.”
And while she’s hard at work on her new seventh studio album, she said this period of her life is all about family.
“I’m just super excited about this time in my life,” Ciara explained. “Like, Oh my gosh, I can see my son running around, and soon it’s going to be two of these creatures running around! Our hands will be full of non-stop action.”
This article originally appeared on People.com
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Where Trump 2.0 Will Differ From 1.0
- How Elon Musk Became a Kingmaker
- The Power—And Limits—of Peer Support
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com