Her First Cabbage Patch Kid

On the way to the mountains last week we stopped by Babyland General in Cleveland, Georgia.  I have such fond memories of visiting the “hospital” growing up.  In case you’re not familiar with Babyland General, it is where Cabbage Patch Kids are born.  Xavier Roberts, the creator, was born near Cleveland and he opened Babyland in the late 1970s.  This is the last year in the current building–an old house–before they move into a bigger hospital in the fall.

One of the most memorable times in my childhood was when I adopted my “real” Cabbage Patch doll on my sixth birthday.  Her name was Dixie Lynn and she was a preemie born out of the cabbage leaves under the Big Oak (see pictures below to get an idea of what I’m talking about).  She had a cloth face with beautiful painted blue eyes and had a gorgeous white gown and hat.  I wanted her to have dimples so she had to have surgery while I watched from a window outside.  Afterwards I went into a special room and offically adopted her by swearing to always love her and take care of her.

I hope to let MM adopt her special doll on her sixth birthday too, but until then she just had to have one to play with.  I took her all through the hospital and found her the perfect ones to pick from–they were all small, had plastic faces, and (the most important part) all had pacis in their mouths–and we know how much MM loves that paci!  I sat out a few to let her pick through and each time she went to the same doll–a brown hair, brown eyed baby with yellow pacifier and bright pink polka dot outfit.  She said she wanted to name her “Gracie Bea” since that’s what we almost named MM and that she wanted her doll to have the same birthday as her.  She was of course too young to take the oath, but she did get an adoption certificate.

And without further adieu, here are the pictures from that morning.  The first ones are of MM in the displays at Babyland General.  There were signs everywhere that said “KEEP CHILDREN OFF OF DISPLAYS”, but how could we when MM was the exact same size as all the dolls?  Preciousness I tell you.  Just preciousness!

When a baby is about to be born they make an announcement, “The cabbage is dialated 10 cabbage leaves.  All nurses to the Big Oak Tree”.  Everyone in the hospital stands around while the nurse gives the cabbage in labor a sonogram.  It is either pink or blue.  Our day it was pink.  Then she adminsters an IV of TLC and helps the cabbage to “birth” the baby.  After that she asks if the audience has any suggestions for the name.  Someone hollered out “Brenda”…and someone else called out “Margaret” (…hmmm, maybe that was our group??) and so the baby was named Brenda Margaret.

And then it was decision time for MM.  Which doll would she choose??

She loves her Gracie Bea, in case you couldn’t tell.

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