Rebecca Leimbach, 40 from Novi, Michigan is a wife, a mother, an
animal lover and a photographer. She has two very special and very, very
adorable muses: her 4-year-old daughter Harper and their 7-year-old
English bulldog Lola.
“When Harper was a baby, Lola would always try to get in the frame and I’d tell her to ‘beat it,’” Rebecca told Today. Rerbecca,
who calls infertility the “struggle of my life,” says she’s always
wanted a sibling for Harper. “It weighed on me every time IVF would
fail.
Then
came the day that Harper emerged from her playroom dressed as a
princess alongside Lola, who was bedecked in full tutu, necklaces and a
tiara.
Rebecca saw that Lola was the playmate she had been yearning for Harper to have.
Rebecca
describes the pair as best buds and says when they are in the house,
Lola is rarely more than a few feet away from Harper.
And
while Lola is kind enough to let Harper play with her in any way,
whether it’s dress-up or hugging, there is occasional discord.
Rebecca
then started taking pictures of Harper and Lola in a series of playful
scenes that show the spunky personalities of both girl and dog.
In
one of Leimbach’s favorite photos, the two are sitting at the dining
table for breakfast. Lola, having eaten the food on her plate, put her
head on the table and fell asleep.
In
another, which she calls, “Copacabana,” the pair are dressed as the
famed couple from the Barry Manilow song. Lola was dressed as a showgirl
while Harper is Rico, with a mustache.
Harper and Lola enjoys being dressed up – from wearing a costume for a masquerade…
… to getting warm and cozy in their hoodies.
They also love reading books…
… and painting.
The professional photographer said that the two have been inseparable
since the moment Harper was born. “My struggle with infertility and
Harper being an only child also made me realize their bond. It made this
series even more important to me,” she said.
She hopes to continue taking photos of her two babies as long as
possible. “We are determined to make sure Lola goes down in Guinness as
the longest-living Bulldog in history.”