Belly rubs

I had to post about this. I can't believe it, but my position on this matter has changed. I never thought I would say this!

In the early weeks of pregnancy, my thoughts were that if anyone tried to rub my belly, they were going to get their hand smacked away. Looking back, this is probably because I had no belly to speak of at the time, just bloat, so I just felt fat instead of pregnant, and who wants to rub somebody's squishy tummy? Yeah, I wouldn't want to rub yours either! ;)

Now that I actually have a baby bump though, my feelings have started to change. Don't get me wrong, I still don't want strangers coming up to me and touching my belly. That hasn't happened yet, and if it does, I will probably get upset and turn away to protect my belly. But my family, friends, and co-workers have all had their share of belly rubs so far, and I have to say, I actually enjoy it! Some ask first, and some don't. While it's still nice to be asked (and my response will be probably always be "yes"), even the surprise belly rubs don't really bother me because they are from people I see on a regular basis who I know are just excited for me. I have to admit, I'm kind of enjoying all of the attention that a pregnant belly receives! Actually, if I'm going to be honest, I'm really enjoying it! I've never been one to enjoy being the center of attention and I kind of like to just hang in the background. This experience is just making me feel really special, and I love sharing my excitement about the baby with others and seeing their excitement about it as well. :)

Has anybody else had their mind changed on this subject as their pregnancy progressed? I'd love to hear about it!