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Pregnant mom takes maternity photos at Target for the best reason

A Missouri woman decided to have some "mom-life fun" with her 3-year-old daughter in a down-to-earth maternity shoot at her favorite store.
/ Source: TODAY

Expectant mom Page Miller, 24, wasn’t interested in a Beyoncé-style maternity shoot. She’s not perfect, she doesn’t always have time to comb her hair, she eats cheese balls and she’s “Pregnant AF.”

According to her, she’s a “Target Mom.”

According to Page, Pippin's photos don't show anything too out of the ordinary for the mom and daughter duo.
According to Page, Pippin's photos don't show anything too out of the ordinary for the mom and daughter duo. Inspired By A True Story Photography

So, at 35 weeks pregnant, Miller told TODAY that she and her best friend Heather Pippin, who is a photographer, walked into a Target where she lives in Arnold, Missouri, to have some “mom-life fun.”

Pippin, the 27-year-old artist behind Inspired by a True Story Photography, thought of the photo concept. But the very pregnant Miller and the easy-going Pippin didn’t do much planning.

“If you know me, you know I have a huge love for Target. It’s where I do 90 percent of my shopping," Miller told TODAY. "Other than the sitting on the floor, everything we did in the photos we’ve done before.”

You can't ever buy nail polish without trying it out first!
You can't ever buy nail polish without trying it out first!Inspired By A True Story Photography

The images beautifully capture Miller and her 3-year-old daughter Avery at their most free-spirited.

"I remember sitting in the air conditioned store and thinking, oh my gosh, I'm so hot," Miller told TODAY.
"I remember sitting in the air conditioned store and thinking, oh my gosh, I'm so hot," Miller told TODAY.Inspired By A True Story Photography

“I let Avery go a little crazy that day because, well, life gets crazy and we should all have a little more fun I think,” said Miller of the shopping expedition.

Miller and Pippin started off by following normal Target-shopping procedures.  First stop:  the in-store Starbucks.
Miller and Pippin started off by following normal Target-shopping procedures. First stop: the in-store Starbucks.Inspired By A True Story Photography

Despite the lighthearted nature of the shoot, the day took a more meaningful turn when the group veered into the baby aisle.

Miller is now 39-weeks pregnant with her rainbow baby, Malin.

In September of last year, Miller lost her second child, Clarke, to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

“Pretty much anything we do we try to incorporate Clarke. He’s our Clark Kent. He’s Superman,” Miller said.

Miller and her fiancé Brad Fincher chose not to find out the sex of their third child, so when Miller found two Superman onesies, she bought them both.

Clarke's Superman spirit showed up in Pippin's photos.
Clarke's Superman spirit showed up in Pippin's photos.Inspired By A True Story Photography

“After Clarke passed away, Superman really became our sign. It always reminds me to take a deep breath. Whenever I see it, I think of Clarke saying to me ‘Mom, I’m here… it’s OK,'” she said.

Miller treasures these maternity photos not just for the fun she had with little Avery but because they remind her to savor every moment.

In the rainbow towel aisle, Miller thought about her rainbow baby, Malin. "A rainbow baby is the rainbow after the storm, a baby that comes after a loss," Miller told TODAY.
In the rainbow towel aisle, Miller thought about her rainbow baby, Malin. "A rainbow baby is the rainbow after the storm, a baby that comes after a loss," Miller told TODAY.Inspired By A True Story Photography

Malin – a unisex name Miller and Fincher chose for their third baby – will arrive any day. "The name means little warrior, " according to Miller. "And the symbol for Malin is an arrow. It means you have to be pulled back to move forward.”

Miller, Fincher and Avery are excited to move forward and also continue remembering their angel Clarke.

“Life’s hard. Avery is at a hard age. This last year has been hard. Being pregnant and huge … It’s all hard," she said. "These photos remind me to value the moment. We can’t take everything too seriously."