As Mariah Carey's due date inches closer, the singer bared her pregnant belly for an intimate photo shoot for Life & Style, on newsstands nationwide Friday.

Carey is reportedly just a few weeks away from giving birth to twins -- a boy and a girl -- with husband Nick Cannon.

"I was feeling very vulnerable about taking pictures at all right now, but then I didn't want to miss this opportunity to document this once-in-a-lifetime experience," Carey told Life & Style. "My ultimate goal was to share this incredibly personal moment with my true fans."

Apparently, Carey wasn't the only one excited about the photo shoot.

"The babies were kicking almost the entire time; it was unbelievable," she said. "Especially the girl -- clearly she's a diva in training! We didn't start shooting until 1:30AM because I was in the hospital from the night before until the day of the shoot with contractions five minutes apart!"

The singer had a bit of a scare late last month when she experienced contractions strong enough to send her to the hospital, but was given the all clear to head home after a few hours.
"I thought I couldn't love Mariah more," Cannon said of his wife. "But I have a whole new appreciation and admiration for her."

Carey's pregnancy has also made her realize the life-changing role of motherhood.

"Now I have so much respect for mothers everywhere, especially those who've had difficult pregnancies or given birth to multiples," she said. "We need to have Mother's Day once a week!"

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