We are on our way up to Michigan, and I don’t know what’s more amazing–that the kids have handled the ride so fabulously or that the minivan is still clean. Brett stayed home to work, but he’s receiving a slew of texts–half with pictures of the kids doing fun things and half with pictures of the car and “LOOK! IT’S STILL CLEAN! BE AMAZED.”
Our first stop in Georgia delivered gorgeous weather, a river tubing adventure and some picturesque landscape…
…but first, Babyland General Hospital, brought to you by the I Don’t Know What the Hell portion of the trip.
Somewhere in the mountains of Georgia on our way to Helen, a sign emerges: Babyland General Hospital THIS WAY. It has a Cabbage Patch Kid logo on it, so I did what any other 6-year-old-trapped-in-a-37-year-old’s-body would do. I held up traffic to pull a U-turn.
“We’re going to Babyland, kids. Let’s go see where Cabbage Patch Kids are born.”
“What’s a Cabbage Patch Kid?” Lainey asks. And wherever it is that dolls go to die, Glennis Willamina rolls over in her grave.
“Cabbage Patch Kids were the coolest dolls you could own when Mommy was little. I had one. Her name was Glennis Willamina.”
A side road directs us to a plot of land where we are greeted by giant stone statues of cabbages with baby heads coming out of them–don’t worry, this gets weirder–and an impressive plantation-style structure, the hospital.
And inside? Sweet Jesus. Let’s just say they aren’t kidding around with the whole hospital thing. Nurses wearing scrubs and stethoscopes roam the facility, encouraging you to listen for announcements of “a live birth” and letting you know that all the babies in the nursery are available for adoption. I pick up a doll from one of the many cribs and take a long whiff of its plastic head.
“Oh my God, it smells exactly how I remember.” Sweet baby powder and childhood magic. “This is so weird.”
What’s weirder is watching a live cabbage patch birth at the magic crystal tree where a whole crop of Cabbage Patch Kids are, um…photosynthesizing?
These heads? They move. Yes, move.
A Plus for Imagination, Xavier Roberts. In fact, I’m kind of disappointed Xavier Roberts didn’t marry Lisa Frank because can you imagine their babies? Too magical for this earth to handle, that’s for sure.
When a mother cabbage goes into labor, all are called to the tree to come cheer her on. That’s when my dad calls.
“Can’t talk. At the magic crystal tree. Cabbage is in labor. Head’s crowning. Gotta go.”
There’s an I.V. with green juice. And the nurse sterilizes the cabbage’s–er, “area” and checks to make sure the baby’s not feet first to rule out a “branch delivery.” And everyone has to yell “PUSH! PUSH!” while the nurse buries her arm down a cabbage for much longer than I was comfortable with and finally pulls out a head. Cue clapping. Cue baby’s first immunization of “imaginocilin.” Cue half the crowd tearing up from the magic of it all and half, like me, left in a cloud of WTF.
“That was the weirdest thing that I ever did see,” my friend Ragan says. I’m a little bit stunned. So I react appropriately.
“Kids, get in line. We’re adopting a baby.”
Was it special? Indeed. Should you go to Babyland General if you’re in Cleveland, Georgia? Hell, yes. If not just to see for yourself.
(Lainey, holding her right hand up and saying her adoption pledge before filling out paperwork)
The kids named their new baby Millie Jackie (Glennis Willamina rolls over again), and I have to admit, we’re all in love. “Mom, why do you keep smelling her head?”
She’s the real deal. Cute as a button.
And when we’re not sniffing Millie Jackie’s head, we’re enjoying summer from the Chattahoochee River…
…and Unicoi State Park.
It was Take Your Naked Barbie to Dinner night in Helen, Georgia this week.
Why can’t we just have normal experiences with dolls?
Moral of the Story: The 80’s are alive and well and reside in Cleveland, Georgia. Revisit with caution.
So here’s the real question…do you remember your Cabbage Patch’s name?
My Becky Lena from 1985, approves of this post.
So does Melodie Daphne from 1987. 🙂
No. No no no no no. You lost me at “the heads move.” That is equal parts mystifying and terrifying. I can’t even handle it when the weird robot “band” at Chuck E. Cheese takes a break and the heads just glance around and blink! I am pretty sure that a live cabbage birth would put me over the edge! LOL!
That said…I totally want to go there. O_o
OMG the blinking band eyes! Totally remember that!
And that Cabbage Patch place is so very very strange.
This is AMAZING! I had no clue this place existed! I wish I still lived in Knoxville because we would go this weekend!
Seriously the best. post. ever. Made my day. I can almost smell that sweet head now. Those were the days.
This whole post is epic. I have tears streaming I am laughing so hard. I have to come down and share this magic and cringe at the cabbage births with my daughters.
We live about an hour from there. We’ve been to the old one but not the new hospital. Been a few yrs. Maybe we need to go back soon! And we were just in Helen last year…haven’t tubed down the Hooch yet!
As Alana Arabella’s mom I think I needs to plan a trip to Georgia just to see all this.
Madge Paige and I would like to congratulate you on your new adoption!
I, however, am left with a lot of WTH’s for sure… I may be traumatized by the pictures of the magic cabbage crystal tree. I’m not sure I could survive seeing it in real life.
Bless the 1980s…
Live and work ten minutes from both Babyland General and Helen. I’m so glad y’all enjoyed our little slice of heaven.
Now I want to go to Georgia…. my mind is blown, and confused, and I’m wondering how on earth a place like this is in existence. Must. Go. and see for myself.
I visited Babyland General when I was a kid (when it was in its old location) and took my daughter last January for her birthday. Needless to say, it wasn’t quite as magical as I remembered it being when I was a kid, it was more creepy. But, my daughter still loves her “Allison Parker” and still talks constantly about going there, so it must be magical and not creepy to little kids.
Doranita Anita, 1987 (whom my brother called DORITO) was a “premie” cabbage patch kid that I still have. I am off to sniff her head. And thank you for making me laugh out loud. Gotta love the weird, makes life so much more interesting.
I found a whole shelf of CPK on clearance for a ridiculously low price last week so I bought most of them and they are hiding in my basement so that my daughters and nieces can experience their own.
Gordon Edward still resides in my home – my daughters (14 & 16) think its weird but they know he gets preferential seating in our family room shelves.
My Tina adora still lives at my parents house! If the “new” baby land freaked u out, you should have seen the original hospital where I adopted gonna adora years ago! Happy times! Enjoy!
I was grandmother to Tansy Peggy. ????
Ardenia Bridgit, she had green eyes and a head full of golden curls!
I live in Cleveland, Georgia! Babyland General is a once or twice a year experience for my nieces because, you know, it’s free and all. Every trip I buy them the tiny little dolls that they have in the gift shop for about $3. Last Summer we were there and they asked what they had to do to get one of the babies born in the cabbage patch. My answer, “take your Uncle Bryan here”. Uncle Bryan is a high profile, well paid attorney in Manhattan. Uncle Bryan took them there for Christmas and bought each of them their own Cabbage Patch Baby. I never felt like it was weird. I guess we’re just used to it. But the whole adoption process was kinda over the top. I will confess to tearing up a bit when the girls finally were able to adopt their own baby.
Love this. And high five to Uncle Bryan!
Also… little tidbit… White County High School holds their prom there every year.
Okay! Now THAT’S epic!!
Omg, this post cracks. me. up! I live in Atlanta so we have gone to Babyland a couple of times, so funny to hear what someone has to say about it! It is a little…different, but a fun experience;-).
Oh, and my cabbage patch doll’s name was Bernadette;-)
My grown kids still talk about the time we visited. Charlie Axelrod was my sons’ dolls name. I liked that they had boy dolls available. Its a weird/fun place!
Jessica Kate! And I adopted her from Babyland in 1986!!! It was the most magical experience ever as a kid. So glad your girls got to experience it!
Eggnella Grace. (That was seriously the name she came with). 1986. She had glasses and I loved her. However, I cried due to her name. So, I renamed her Molly.
“I cried due to her name.” I totally get it.
Oh. My. Gosh! I can’t believe it, my little Cabbage Patch Doll and Koosa, are still alive and well in a storage bin in my basement. I smiled the entire time I read this post. Such fond memories! I can not remember their names though! Parent Fail! 🙁
My Lydia Gay is reliving her glory days in the arms of my five year old! Thankfully her nickname of Lydia Gaylord, bestowed upon her by my brother, hasn’t lived on!
Lawrence oliver
Gaaaah. I was one of those weird kids that was totally spooked by dolls. I do remember cabbage patch dolls but I also remember thinking how grateful I was to not have to be the caregiver of one! I can’t imagine what the live birth experience would have done to me….
Faith Hope was her birth name, and buck-teeth she came with! Santa left her under the tree for me. I believe I changed her name to Katie Anne on the adoption papers.
My dad refused to pay “that much money for a doll” so I never had my own CPK growing up, but I did a lot of CPK babysitting for my friends in the neighborhood whose dads weren’t so cheap. Now, at 41, I am the proud owner of four CPKs and my husband knows not to say a peep about any of them. I also sent pictures of each one to my father as I purchased them, just so he could see the mess he created.
oh. My. God….I can’t believe that place actually exists!!! How utterly bizarre! And I so want to go there!
My kid’s name was Rebecca. I always wanted to be called Rebecca – I think it was the coolest 90s name- way cooler than Noelle!
“A Plus for Imagination, Xavier Roberts. In fact, I’m kind of disappointed Xavier Roberts didn’t marry Lisa Frank because can you imagine their babies? Too magical for this earth to handle, that’s for sure.” Oh my goodness! Dying. This is super hilarious and SO creepy! Glad to see Poop hasn’t been replaced by Millie Jackie, yet!
p.s. My cabbage patch babies were Jessica Ann and Jamie Erin, but I changed their names! My neighborhood friends and I organized a club the summer we were 10. I came across our meeting minutes in a scrapbook recently. We wouldn’t let one of the girls in the neighborhood join because we deemed her a negligent mother for not changing her doll’s clothes frequently enough! We were quite serious about it!
I went there the summer between 5th and 6th grade. It didn’t seem so weird then but I betcha now I would be totally thinking WTF!? My dolls name was Penny but for the life of me I can’t remember her middle name. Now that I have a little girl I want to take her there. It’ll be a few years but that trip is on the list!
Her name was Sandra Denice, but my mom said we should call her Sandra Dee, which I didn’t understand at the time. She had on a plaid school girl dress and two yellow ponytails.
I am equal parts horrified and fascinated. Oh, how I wish I lived in the US to visit this!
Enjoy your holidays Kelle 🙂
Casey Rufus. Bald and beautiful.
My doll was Evie .
We don’t have a lot of luck with Cabbage Patch Kids in this house.
I bought one for my daughter & she was terrified of it so it made a really quick trip to the Goodwill.
I bought one for my granddaughter and she won’t go near it.It’s hid in the bottom of the toy box.
Miranda Ernestine!
This post scared the shit outta me, but ya…of course I remember!! Christie Rhonda all the way!!
Bellamy Elmer. I loved him.
Emma Star she was a preemie, I think and looked just like the girls’ baby
Goldie Ivy. She had long brown yarn ponytails, a white jogging suit with blue and white striped leg warmers and I could get high on the smell of her face. I’m raiding my parent’s old farmhouse. I know she’s there somewhere.
Honoria Lucianne. What. The. Hell.
I had Daryl Murray, Wendy Rachel and Angel. I still have them plus one Christmas my husband bought me a new one.
My doll’s name was Maybelle Hazel. How in the world do I still remember that? 🙂
We go once a year for the past 19 years (since my oldest daughter was born). We go camping at Unicoi and go to the Cabbage Patch Hospital – my 5 boys are not always thrilled, but this place keeps my childhood alive. We love yelling out names as the baby is born. We have named quite a few. I hope one day (in the far far future) I’ll get to take my granddaughters there.
I remember wanting one like I remember wanting a Furby but I never got one in the end – I think my folks decided that it was too expensive.
Mydaughter had two. Patti Melissa whom she loved more than anyone or anything, and Hubert Bingham. She went NOWHERE without Patti!
Lori Elspeth: she has muted orange braids, a soft yellow calico dress & maybe a few freckles. I would have totally pulled a U-turn for this!
Mario Willis 1986
God bless the 1980s and sweet smelling baby powdered cabbage patch births.
Mine was Eunice Belinda. I have no clue why I didn’t rename it. Possibly the same reason no one else did. Their names were so fascinating and exotic! Heh. Am laughing at six year old me.
I saw a few nekkid Barbies at the pool the other day and thought of Nella.
I literally cried from laughter reading this post. I too was–ahem, am–a Cabbage Patch Kid through and through. I had many of them-my favorite being Jazzabelle Helga! Oh the names. I have two kids of my own, and I am ready to take them asap! Thanks for the laughs!!
I still remember sending off the paperwork to change the name of my CBK to a name I had personally chosen – Glenn Raymond. I sure wish I knew where he is now. I could totally “smell” him again though with your incredible description!
I can’t stop laughing at this! I wanted to go there when I was little, because I thought it would be weird. You did not disappoint!
I renamed all of my Cabbage Patch dolls after Sweet Valley High characters.
I was just thinking of this place the other day! I have never been but would love to go there one day. In the 80s, our mother fought tooth and nail to get us our babies — my bald boy Morton Leland and my sister’s long red haired girl Nellie Anastasia — from some department store in time for Christmas. I’ve let the kids play with them and all their clothes my mother handmade for them but they weren’t much into them. I plan to keep bringing them out in the hopes they will fall in love just like we did. And if not then at least I have an excuse to love on them a bit more.
YES! It was GEORGETTE FRANCE! I’m from the french part of Canada, hence the french name! A couple years later, I got a baby CPK but they did not translate names anymore so its english sounding name did not stick with me… I would love to go to babyland, this is awesome!!!
Oh!! I am super jealous as I read this! I had a cabbage patch kid named Audra Susan, I loved her!! My parents had a hardware store when I was growing up, and we could order toys. So naturally we ordered cabbage patch kids, we would literally have wait lists for them, and when the shipment arrived, my dad would let all the kids come look at the dolls And pick their kid. Thank you for a trip back to those days!
I was the weird kid who absolutely renamed my cabbage patch kid. I had a bald, preemie cabbage patch boy. My toys and pets all told me their true, proper names when I was a kid, and the name on my little doll’s birth certificate was OBVIOUSLY not his true name, so my mom tells me I promptly tore his birth certificate in half and re-named him Crispin. My sweet, bald, jaundiced little preemie Crispin. I could not have been older than 5.
Mabel Sherie! I adopted her in 1983. She’s one of the original “adoption dolls.” She’s all cloth (no plastic head) and was birthed well before the Cabbage Patch Kids were mass produced. I still have her and sent her back to the hospital several years ago for a good cleaning. Loved growing up in the 80s!
Me too! Toni Sonia is hidden in my closet, and she has had a good cleaning as well. I think she is worth quite a bit as she is original and i have thought about selling her on e-bay. I still have her original adoption papers with fingerprints. And of course, Xavier’s signature is on her behind. By the way, the old Babyland General was way better than the new one. How about the stream that flowed through the buiding?
Bald Baby says I must take her to visit…and protests that her name is weird 🙂
Webster Bellamy!
I also have a homemade cabbage patch that my mom made until they could afford to buy me one. ❤️
Ah, yes…the smell of the plastic and yarn head! I still have my Bingham Willis, and believe it or not, his head still smells the same! When I was pregnant with my 1st daughter, I would rock Bingham, smell his head, and sob tears of happiness! My daughter has 2 of her own cabbage patches, but they were ebay buys, so sadly, they have no names.
Clarissa Patricia
Tabitha Lynn
something Gayle
I totally would have pulled in to see this place! A whole lotta creepy awesome.
Imogene Alana!
Almost peed my pants reading this. My uncle lived in Atlanta in 1983. I was in the 3rd grade and had serious CPK fever. My aunt took us to a little boutique and I adopted Candace Marlo. She was joined by her preemie sister, Lillian Henrika the following year. I can smell their heads just thinking about them. On another note, my husbands little brother had Donny Franky in the 1980’s and my hubs and older brother set poor DF on fire. #ripdonnyfranky
Garland Karna and my brother’s doll is Henry Kurt. My mother said she had to buy it for him because my brother’s name is Kurt. They are alive and well in my childhood bedroom at my parents’ house.
Lol! The “alive and well” part had me imagining them
Alive!
Althea ADORIE
I choose to call her Adorie, she had red pigtail braids and a soother. Her dress was mint green with ruffle knickers and she had white shoes 😉 I loved her dearly. Thanks for the walk down memory lane 😉
PS I’ve been to the Babyland hospital on my way to Helen GA. So loved this post.
Susannah Georgia- bright red pigtails. She was amazing.
I laughed my ass off this entire post. How hilarious is all of that! Props to them on fostering that imagination though! I can just see your face!
I didn’t even know this place existed and now I *need* to go! My first Cabbage Patch doll came with the name Lettie Doreen.
Sonya Leslie, 1985. I still have her!
Ramona Beezus was her name after the characters Ramona and Beatrice Quimby!
Oh my gosh I want to go!!!!!! I really want to go! Why is New Zealand so far away?!?!?! My first was Nicky Katie, then Gemma Marie and then Vivienne Rochelle. My sister had Petunia Tina!
Bertie Chrissie!
Blakey Willis
Lanora Odella
Helen Marie!
I *may* still sniff CPK’s heads when I come across them in Target 😉
Hell yes! Catherine Carrie and my best friends was Heddy Peggy!!!!!
Dillon Kent and Stacy Ann. He had navy glasses and she was a premie. My sister changed the names on hers to Billy and Sally. BORING
Nanine Nanette who resides in my closet right next to my husband’s CPK whose name my husband has forgotten.
Okay. Now I need to find Rose Royce.
Xavier Roberts hired my Grandma to make me my own Cabbage Patch Dolls, Michael and Maria. While they were not stamped on their bum with his name, their heads are genuine and I have them to this day. My Grandma pierced Maria’s ears with sewing push pins when she was old enough and I recently bought them new matching duckie outfits to help preserve their ’84 skin toned fabric. This is so on my bucket list !
Roberta Georgette
My very first cabbage patch and possible doll in general was: Gloria Monica. I did end up with one named Julia later on as well! Loved them!
Garvey Ray – he was a Baby Blue Jays baseball player
Rona Toni, Jodan Lori and Lenore Opal. Would you not want to be the ’80s copywriter who got to come up with such ludicrous names?! So much fun to be had.
Niles Brendan! I had a preemie CPK. That was the name he came with, so I kept it. I did want a girl doll to name Chevrolet Adrienne a la Ramona from the Beverly Cleary books. I’m a dork.
Megan Marilyn, Jason , Yetta Deandre(preemie) Jeremy nelson(preemie) Frieda Jesse(world traveler)
I still have my dolls. We went to Babyland General ( years ago and it was amazing. My girls both adopted a baby
My doll was named Stephanie Ann..I still have her in my hope chest:)
I love in Ga,and my dolls were the best Santa gifts I ever got! I had Nathaniel Dorian,Yetta Aletta,and the next year I got the preemie named Fanya Elisabet. We took my daughters there 2 years ago and my youngest wants to go for her Birthday next month. It is a weird/magical experience all rolled up into one!
How fun. I’ve always wanted to go and never had the chance. I had two and only remember his first name was Vincent.
My sister was married and my nephews great uncle is Xavier Roberts. He sent my nephew and his sister their own custom dolls with their names on the birth certificate.
Coolest great uncle ever!
Yes I remember their names: Nicky Sara and Abigail Mona and one other that I can’t remember at the moment. I also had a Koosa-don’t recall his (her?) name. My husband had a few cabbage patch dolls and a Koosa too-he, of course, does not recall any of their names. Also, I still have all of mine and my children play with them from time to time.
Melissa Daisy! She had red hair and blue eyes. That was almost 30 yrs ago now. Wow.
Mine was Ranita Daisy. I still have her but I put her up because she scares my daughter haha. I live in north Georgia so I’ll have to check out this out. It’s free too isn’t it?
I still have my premie cpk from when I was little but I cannot remember her name! Ill have to ask my mom if she remembers… so glad you enjoyed our mountains this week 🙂 and safe travels!
Courtney Elizabeth and I approve! :0)
Dorcus Mona was her name!
This post was amazing. Brought me back to my childhood. Do I remember my Cabbage Patch Kids name? But of course! I still have her (I’m 37). Her name is Natalie Iris.
A bit embarrassed to say how many I had. My first was Kimberly Kim. My second was (premie) Vincent Isaac, followed by (premie) Inez Coral.
LOVED them. And yes, the smell!
Did you know you could apply to change their names? I did, we called her Joyce Noreen…perfect name according to my 8 year old self.
This is seriously the funniest thing Ive ever read 😉
Oh my word, what a crazy adventure!!! So funny! I want to go!!
Cinderella Elizabeth…no joke.
Marcus Allen 1982/3 Not quite sure of the date.
Bought him from a dept store. He was the last one on the shelf. I had him for many , many years!
Ok and here is the sad part. I was a teenager! LOL
I had to have this last baby on the shelf!!
And now my grandbaby has one of her own. Of course she doesn’t smell like “baby powder” head! but she is a cutie never the less!
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with that! :o)
I just brought my cabbage patch kid home from my parents’ house this weekend. Her name is Beverly and she was filthy and naked. My girls were so excited to bring her home and clean her up. Next up they want me to learn to sew to make her new clothes.
Mamie Darla & Cathleen Diseree.
Holy hell that was amazing. How did that place survive the recession? Let alone the 90’s? Listen I know you post about a lot of important shiz, but this is up there for me on the important shiz Kelle blog’s about list. So thank you for that. Amazeballs…
And I’ve never talked about this frankly, but I feel like this is a safe place to do so. My step-mom went through a doll making phase as a little SAHM side venture in the early part of her marriage. You know pre-etsy and blogger and all that. The first doll she made me was cute and innocuous–I appreciated it. Then she decides to go and make wannabe Cabbage patch kid dolls. With soft heads that she sews herself. Honestly for a knock-off it was really good. OK? I will give her that. For a KNOCK OFF it was GOOD. But it was a knock off. And because I was trying way too hard to win her approval I didn’t let on in the slightest how disappointed I was because OF COURSE like any red blooded American girl of the 80’s I wanted a REAL baby powder smelling, Xavier Roberts butt-signed Cabbage Patch kid doll. I remember going to a ‘bring your CPK doll’ birthday party and I show up with Misty (that name just came to me) and as much as I tried to feign enthusiasm with a weak smile and less than thrilled “my stepmom made it for me” explanation, you could tell everyone felt bad for me. For a million reasons I wish I had had the balls to speak my mind to my step parents when I was kid, but this has to be in the top 10. A couple years later I got a Koosa, one of the bizarre CPK pets that spun off a few years later. But whatever… too little, too late man.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.
Ha. Don’t feel bad for not speaking up. I have the opposite situation. My mom couldn’t get her hands on CPK the first Christmas around so had an elderly lady make some for us. We had no problem speaking up. We cried! Huge regret. We all laugh about it now, but it kills me that my mom must have been so excited to give them to us, and our responses were crushing! You sweet thing you, keeping your mouth shut. I wish I would have!
Bernice!
I had several Cabbage Patch Dolls, even a CPK horse, but sadly can’t remember any names. I DO, however, remember going to Babyland General when I was 10 or 11. (so….~25 years ago). I’ll never forget the nurse slapping the baby on the butt to make it “breathe” and everyone calling out names!
I didn’t have a CPK but had a handmade “Adoptadoll” from a local seamstress. My baby looked just like me with long blonde ponytails and brown eyes. I named her Sarah Elizabeth Joy. My baby brother named his doll Spooker Scotcher Rimes (after a boy he met named Scott Rimes). I totally wanna go to Babyland now. I’m sure my teenage sons would be quite undone if I asked them to make this trip lol!
I had Stella Elizabeth and corinia but u can not remember her middle name
Ronald Davey and Buck Ollie. They successfully survived living in the 80’s and are now enjoying being loved by their original owners twin boys. Some things never go out of style.
Totally cracking up over here – first that is exactly what is supposed to happen on a road trip, y’all are pros… Secondly while I can’t remember what my CPK name was/is (still have her) I do remember her “birth” story. My aunt who had only boys and consequently spoiled her nieces like cray-cray… Got in a shoving match during a Black Friday sale for her with a lady who tried to take the doll out of her cart. So… That’s… magical?
Florrie Rosalind and my preemie was named Arlene something. My girls are still playing with them! That sounds like a crazy place but it sounds like it’s like watching a train wreck and you can’t resist.
Helga Sheena. This is too much. This place. Who are these nurses?!?! The whole thing. I hear music from the movie psycho accompanying my visualization of this place.
It sounds like the perfect location for a nightmare…I so am planning a trip asap!
I had two CPK: one named allison and the other Jeremy. They currently reside in my daughters baby doll carriage with the original outfits on. My daughter is 5. They still smell like powder.
My mother tells me that “santa” purchased these dolls out of the back of a truck in a child’s world shopping plaza. My mother thought she would get busted by the police for purchasing them off the black market!
CPK were so hard to come by when they were on my Christmas list….but my mother came through.
I had several cabbage patch dolls- like 5. I was an only grandchild and only child for a good while- so I was given the primo toys. I do believe the one male I had was named Harvey and the redhead JoAnna
Tragically I can’t remember my girl cabbage patch’s name. It may have been Elizabeth or Rebecca. My boy cabbage patch was Elliott named after the kid in E.T. but it freaked my sister out too much and she made me change it to Eric.
Harmony Joy! I still have her!:)
Hell yeah, I remember her name…. Della Yvonne! And probably kinda weird, but I have her in my bedroom right now. My mom dumped all of my old dolls at my house for my kids, but I can’t bring myself to let my kids play with her (she’s too special!) so I have her in hiding here in my bedroom!
They did this in NYC at the big tiy store in time square. Crazy to watch.
Geletta Brooke. For real. I tied her to the back of my Big Wheel when I was six with a jump rope that one day I decided to run away from home. I made it all the way to the gigantic bush at the end of our driveway. Geletta (funny, spellcheck keeps trying to autocorrect her name to “helmets”) still has a scar on her cheek where I accidentally backed over her. Ah, the good ole days…
I work in Sautee (between Cleveland and Helen) and decided we should visit the Cabbage Patch Hospital one Saturday with my then three year old. I had the same WTF reaction as you. She LOVED it! I on the other hand wondered how in the world this all came about…
All I can think is a dream. Or lots of drinks. :o)
I totally love this! We had several… Norman Sherman is the only name I can remember though. I’m 40 and I still have them 🙂
Last summer, my mom and stepdad drove 12 hours to deliver my wedding dress and cabbage patch kids to me….I’ve been married 16 years and have four kids….it was time to introduce them to my first babies…..Meredith(also named ban roll-on by my older brothers) met my crew.
I don’t remember their middle names, but I had Ellanor and then adopted my brother’s doll George. Still have them. 🙂
First, this place is SO WEIRD! I mean, I could see it happening in the 80s, but to STILL be around? Very odd. And yet, if I’m ever in the area, I will go.
I had Catherine (I’m guessing I renamed her because that is not a normal CBK name), then got Timmy, also renamed, and then got Jenny, who was given to me by my mother when my brother was born because I was hell bent on her having a baby girl that I would name Jenny. I still remember her pulling Jenny from below the hospital bed and handing her to me, and how she helped, but didn’t completely alleviate the disappointment of there not being a real baby Jenny to meet that day.
Tragic story though: my grandmother made me tons of adorable handmade CBK clothes. Fur coats, fancy dresses, knitted sweaters with matching me-sized ones. And, would you believe that my mother let me go and sell the entire box at a garage sale so I could get some money to buy Babysitters Club books?!?! Seriously, I’m still livid. Who lets their kid do that? I would LOVE to have that box of clothes for my kids now!!
I love(d) my cabbage patch. It’s still in the top shelf of my old bedroom at my parent’s house. Too bad I didn’t see this post before my parents came to visit – I want that Cabbage Patch for my girls!
My one doll was Joyce Emma and the other one I only remember her first name which was Allison. My mom saved them both and now my daughter plays with them. “Baby Allison” is her absolute favorite. She even prefers her over a brand new Cabbage Patch doll I bought her for Christmas!
I don’t remember it’s name but I do remember how PISSED I was when I asked for a baby brother and I got a cabbage patch doll.
Vinny Woody and Dodie ???? (uh oh) were my long awaited and highly sought after babies! My Aunt fought the crowds in Billings MT (the logic being maybe they wouldn’t be quite so popular just yet in MT vs WA) for those babes. They apparently need a “Where Are They Now” episode because I have no idea what happened to them . . .
I grew up going to Babyland and Helen! I even had a doll named after me during one of the deliveries but we couldn’t afford to adopt that day so somebody had a doll in the 80s named Elisabeth Lynn because of me. ☺️
I really don’t think this is appropriate. Our children came through adoption, and this seems like a very strange ritual to pretend to adopt. I feel like if there was this kind of weird ritual around a child with Down Syndrome, you would have protested against it.
It’s definitely weird, and I’m not sure what my take on it is, especially if I had an adopted child, but I think their intentions are good. I had an adopted friend who loved the fact that her Cabbage Patch was adopted too. And there are some things in the D.S. world that make me uncomfortable–even dolls with D.S. that I don’t love for personal reasons–but I wouldn’t protest against them as many families with children with D.S. love them. In the words of Amy Poehler, “Good for her, not for me.”
I am snort-laughing on my couch and my husband thinks I’m laughing at the episode of Catfish we’re watching. Nope, not Catfish. Live cabbage birth. SO HILARIOUS.
Lorrice Leonore, Catarina mini(she was a preemie, of course) and Emma Gilberta!!
I had 2, a vibrant red head with blue eyes named Lisa and a special preemie named lee. I played with then all the time. And I had a weird bunny bee. Head of a cabbage patch doll and body of a bee, with a bushy tail and bunny ears. Evidently they sprinkle the magic in the cabbages and make the babies. Or they did when Grammy stopped by the hospital in the 80’s!!!
I might have to road trip with Alina Harmony and Zebadee Donald. Awesome!
I had a Kimberley Anne, a Jesse James, a Marianne Elizabeth and a Daniel Warrren (with 3 r’s) – Spoiled child, I was 🙂
Ohhh my god. I seriously need to go, because after I read this (while alternately laughing hard enough to creep out my hotel neighbor and gasping WHAT?!?!), I feel I can no longer really say I’ve seen some weird stuff in my life. Naked Barbies at dinner are capital N normal after birthing cabbage patch (and how they usually rolled in our house). My brother and I both had cabbage patch dolls. Mine was named Christie.
I am dying! Reading this in bed trying not to wake my husband. My cabbage patch’s name was “Edith Eleanor”
this made my night! Rolling over in their grave also Belva Verna and her brother Burt.
I don’t remenber my Cabbage Patch doll’s name but do you remember when they came out with animal friends??? Great post, even with that questionable barbie pose at the end. ; )
Yep. They were called Koosa’s. I had one. I didn’t get a *real* CPK doll, but I got a Koosa. (But Kelle you’re probably right…it’s probably a good thing I didn’t make my step mom feel bad for my homemade CPK doll. It was legit nice.)
Colin Rhett- he was African American and I’m not but had a foster brother who was so wanted my CP Kid to look like him! I still have him and my boys ( now 19 and 17) played with him. Hoping to have him for the grandbabies someday!
Joella Denise
I actually found her again among some remnants of my childhood at my parents’ home. I brought her home to live here about the same time my youngest son, Xavier, was born. My older children asked me why our baby’s name was “scribbled on my old doll’s bottom?”
Don’t remember my CP’s name but definitely remember the baby powder smell. I wonder if this place is too weird for my 2.5yr old. I’ll be I north Georgia later this summer.
Sounds interesting! Wow! I had three. Verna (Forgot?), Aron Thurman and Blanche Mindy were their names. Hahaa
Yes, her name was Pearly Gality, but I renamed her Diana Maria, likely after Princess Diana and Maria Von Trapp, I also had a boy named Harvey Esmond. I wonder what the “nurses” working at the Babyland hospital are really thinking…
Mine was Deanna Eugenia an she was one of the old Xavier Roberts dolls back before the plastic heads.
I witnessed a delivery on a visit with my very pregnant cousin and her 5yo daughter right after my second miscarriage and had a near complete meltdown in the hospital. The WTH? and the tears can happen simultaneously!
Glad yiuve enjoyed our beautiful state!
I would have freaked out! I never owned a CPK. I remember wanting one for a while and then some woman in our town started making the fake ones. No, I didn’t get one of those either I think my sister had a real one. The funny thing is I bought one for each of my two granddaughters last Christmas and I cannot for the life of me remember their names. They can’t either. Their mama has to remind them constantly. And she has to really think about it first.
I just wasted 20 minutes reading through all the comments to see the names of all those Cabbage Patch babies from the past. 😉
My baby’s name was Ilonka Leila. Epic, right? She was a preemie.
I had a Cabbage Patch Doll !!! This brings back memories 🙂 Thanks for sharing !
Not only do I remember but I picked it out and still have the doll! Her name was Katie Lynn because every girl growing up in the 80’s secretly wanted to be named Katie with an “ie”. 😉
Oh my gosh, I have been there! My mom and I dragged my dad and older brothers when I was like 10, and I bet nothing has changed in the last 18 years. Can you imagine working there? Thank you for the little trip down memory lane.
Holy smokes! My cabbage patch doll’s name was Pilar.. Oh wow does this bring back memories… Guess I’ll have to put that hospital down on my bucket list! 🙂
Suzanne Marie!! Red hair, and green eyes!
don’t remember their names (I have 4 of them)
But I do still have all four!
I have one from Germany, they were so hard to get and some how of another my mom got one from Germany….
My sister had a cute girl with brown yarn ponytails named Joelle….something. I had a bald boy named Sheldon Kirkwood. My kids could not have cared less about him, but he is still in our house.
We adopted Jack Julie for our second daughter because my Faye had been passed on to our oldest. She wouldn’t touch her because of the baby powder smell for two years!
Tessa Marie. She now belongs to my 5 year old and I love it!
I can’t quite find the words to respond to this post. It’s almost as if my brain cannot decide if this knowledge has destroyed my childhood memories of my beloved Samantha, or enhanced them to such a level of awesomeness I’m not even able to comprehend it.
Here’s what I know for sure. I have to go there.
I had 3… no idea how I ended up with 3, but I had Beatrix Marcelle, Felix Joel and Amelia (hmmm?) – Amelia was a cornsilk doll that looked like me & my middle name is Emelia.
My Cabbage Patch was named Ivy Belinda…and I think I still have her…somewhere…
This made my day!!! Thank you for all the pictures… safe travels, and have fun!!
I love this post!
I’ve been reading for years (and love your beautiful outlook and family)- and this might be my favorite post! As a Georgia resident, Babyland has been a family tradition. I laughed so hard reading about how weird it all is now, but I have the sweetest memories of my Papa Glen taking me there for my own babies (which I, of course, still have…that baby smell!) Thanks for reminding me of that today!
Matthew Brad. This wasn’t his original name so I changed it to reflect the boy I had a crush on at the time. SIGH.
Avril Edith! She’s alive and well living in my 8yo daughter’s room! I love cabbage patches!!!
I will never forget Freddie Berty…..blonde curly hair and blue eyes! Thanks Gram for the great Cabbage Patch memories of 1984!
Yes I loved my Cabbage Patch Dolls too!!! Tracy Hetty was my preemie baby and Janie O’Dea was my newborn, and Bonnie Jean was the regular size dolls name. I can still smell them too and remember the clothes they had on!! Gosh I have to go to this place!!
Marilla Lorraine….still have her and she still has the baby scent (got her around 1984) in Denver but now I live in Georgia, not too far from babyland general.
McKenzie Dale! She was perfect! My mom used to make us matching outfits.
Love your post…Raina Barbie was her name!
The Cabbage Patch Kids craze: the last Christmas I believed in Santa, because my Mom told me the family couldn’t afford a Cabbage Patch for me and then I got one.
Harmony Marilyn was her name, and Lisa Elspeth arrived for my sister the next year [possibly the worst name ever devised for a doll?].
That factory is scary as hell.
And a bit of advice from my experiences of the last week with my daughter who turned from 6 to 7 two days ago. Suddenly, there are ‘questions’. Three separate, distinct ones….one concerning [not how they are made] how babies are born, and two others concerning the difference between a 7 year old’s body and her mother’s. I’ve answered her questions openly and willingly, and it has become a much lesser deal than the ‘mystery’ of everything unexplained [I’m taking pages from my childhood book here]. Be honest, answer questions, and empower your children with the truth. If they ask honest questions, don’t tell them they came from the Cabbage Patch as one of my friends was told. It doesn’t do them any favors, and they actually resent being told untruths……or in my case, having no information whatsoever and many, many questions that I received misguided answers to by friends who knew little more than I.*
*This is not directed at you Kelle [rather, the collective ‘you’]. Just some advice from my very own little section of the road I’ve been travelling lately. 🙂
I have literally never commented on a blog but was absolutely compelled by this! My cpk was Gary Clarence! My 3 year old daughter (who has DS by the way) has her babies Ally Ryan and Jules Willie! (We call him JW, lol!)
Dianna Marisa. Adopted her from The Doll House in San Francisco in 1985.
My kids and I live most of our lives in WTF-land and even I am weirded out by this post. I want to go just to see what those people are smoking and maybe get some for myself. My baby Bertie is from a cabbage but I’m pretty sure she wasn’t birthed from a crystal tree but a cabbage plant in the ground like most normal babies. Holy wow and a bottle of eggs, I just don’t know what to make of this place. Sounds pretty epic though.
In other news, at least your kids play with dolls. Mine just throw them at the wall and scream “No baby! Evil baby!” I’m sure it’s no reflection at all on my skills as a parent.
Love this!! My CB dolls were named Sgt. James (still have him ;-D ) and Tonya – with red yarn to match my red hair. I remember getting Tonya at age 4 and saying goodbye to my imaginary friend. B/c you can only have one best friend at a time. ugh!
Ernestina Annie <3 <3 <3
Omg! I’m at work while reading this and couldn’t even answer the phone b/c I was laughing so hard! I so remember my CPK! I had a bald boy named Roy, a curly blond girl (can’t remember her name), a bald premiee boy (can’t remember his name either), a girl that had a little patch of bald hair and a set of bald boy twins (can’t remember there names either). I still have each and everyone of them and a Koosa! They are all packed away. I loved reading this post and thinking back to those days of playing with my babies. It was awesome! My girls are too grown now to go but I would love to go visit here especially after reading your post. Thanks for putting a smile on my face today!!!
Eugenia Grace! Purchased in GA, stamped on bottom. 1983! Also bought a set of twins for my twins in 1986 when they were mass produced. Now that doll is a favorite of her twins daughters, now 2 1/2 years old.
Hortensia Dawn and Clayton Charles. Can still remember the smell of their heads. Don’t even want to think about how many chemicals are involved in getting that scent to last forever.
Adelle Lorilei and Reuben Aylmer
I am crying actual tears from this! I had a Willemina too!
Xavier Roberts, thank you.
Oh my. This post and all of the comments have had me giggling at my desk all morning! My baby was a bald little number named Baby Carmen. She had green eyes and I would drag her (literally dragging her on the ground) everywhere so she was always so dirty. I still remember the sound of her head thunking around the dryer when my mom would insist on washing her.
Eldora Charmaine. And I remember that sweet smell.
Sonia Amie and Evonne Adena! I’m 41 yrs old, so I’m rather impressed that I remember.
I don’t even know what to say about the Cabbage Patch hospital thingy. I’m….speechless.
Hannah Lucinda was “born” when I was a more “mature” momma! Wish I could post her picture as she is still her sweet self…gotta go to see if her baby smell still lingers.
Soooooooo cute!
I hope Nella’s ears don’t hurt too much, though.
Rosanna Eunice
Can totally recall that smell from your description! And how am I able remember my preemies name after all these years?? Phoebe Ella – after reading may of these other names I see Phoebe’s name was pretty good 🙂
preemie’s*
many*
Garnett Carlotte! I think her birthday was Aug 1. 😉 I was 4 when I got her and that was almost 30 years ago! My aunt brought her from California. My sister got Dottie. I still have mine.
Glenda Joselina
Whenever I got mine I was little enough to not appreciate the name she came with and I’m sure her papers were promptly lost. I was maybe three? four? I wish I knew what name she came with!
Anyway, I, being a highly original child, called her Cabby. Yes, a take on cabbage.
I still have her and my little two year old likes her now. We also found a spotlessly clean and new baby at a thrift store that my little girlie spotted and fell in love with when she was barely one. She doesn’t have a name yet, but maybe someday. 🙂
This is so very weird and wrong and I totally want to go. Hahaha
Well, I hate to brag but there was actually one named/created after me! We traveled a lot when I was a baby for my dad’s job. Once when we were in Georgia my mom pushed me in the stroller to the hospital and I got a really bad sunburn. Sooo they decided to make a bald, sunburned baby and named her Breanne Scott after myself. I’n so hip. 😉
Annie Chandra. A little tuft of blond hair. Your post brought me back to the delicious smell of them. I think I still love her wherever she is.
I’m not s huge fan of “text speak,” but I’m not sure there was ever a more appropriate place for WTF?! Nadine Regina would likely agree with me, she still resides at my parents house!
Louisa Marie
OMG! You making a U-turn to go, after seeing the billboard! So AWESOME!
I have also loved reading everyone’s dolls names. I tried to find mine (even asked my Mom) but no luck. I remember she had long, brown hair like mine. I got her when my Mom brought my brother home. So we each got a baby. Beneath her pigtails there were bald spots. I loved her anyway! LOL
My Charlotte Elizabeth and Clayton Blythe (I kid you not) remember that place well. My daughter’s Emma Charlotte had a bad birthing experience and is glad to be at my home and no longer a resident of Babyland. 🙂
Katie Pearl and my mom also brought home Vanessa from Italy when she and my dad were there on vacation. looking back I can’t believe she bought a cabbage patch doll in Italy!!
your post had me laughing so hard I had tears running down my cheeks. thank you for the laugh!
Eugenia!!
Katherine Marcia! 🙂
Maximilian Robbie!
Roberta and despite having tons of clothes, she was always naked!
Alaura Lissy 🙂
I had two! Pamela Ivy and Leanna Jane. Pamela is still with me.
My very first one was Delilah Tabitha. And yes – there were many, many more after her. I would have given anything to visit the hospital back in the 80’s. Thanks for giving us all a glimpse of what we missed out on years ago! 🙂
Elbertina Bunny was my CPK. I called her Tina, which was super cool in the 80’s, so WIN!!
becki bunni. unforgettable, because i already had a stuffed pink bunny, named becky bunny. this story had me rolling, especially matchmaking xavier roberts and lisa frank, but then, i, too, am 37.
Kelle, thanks for that very much needed laugh! I loved my little bald Marc Fernando, and later got a preemie named Cheryl Blanche. My sister had Florence Alyssa and a preemie named Phoebe. My mom, who is a mild-mannered person, had to fight tooth and nail for Marc and Florence!
My husband just informed me that a little girl he grew up with had one she called No Hair.
Fred Pedro ! Fascinating post!
My first cabbage patch was Yvonne and I still remember that bald head of hers smelling like baby powder…what I wouldn’t give to have her back for my own kids!! Love this post and wouldn’t mind seeing this crazy cabbage delivery!
For some reason my step father thought I needed a Cabbage Patch doll for my birthday. When I turned 18. You know, the year I went to college. Even so, I did love her smell. Her name is Marnie Merlena and she’s 30 years old now. She lived on my daughter’s bed for a while and was in excellent condition until my youngest came along. He loved pulling the ribbons out of her hair and taking her shoes and socks off. I hope I put her I the attic and didn’t ship her off in a moment of “you kids have too much stuff, something has got to go!” desperation to simplify my life. Your post was laugh out loud funny. Thanks for the walk down memory lane.
Mimi Felicia. Circa 1985
Too funny, my cabbage patch doll’s name was Millie!! Your kids have a sixth sense. 😉 Loved this post, I used to save my money up to buy these dolls, kind of creepy/cool to see where they come from.
I had for but I can only remember 3 names.
Desiree Jacklyn – Red yarn doll.
Alexander Robert – Brown curly boy.
Benedict Hugo – Bald newborn.
Then I had a corn silk doll and can’t remember her name at all!
Loretta Allen – although I couldn’t pronounce it correctly so she was “Redletta Allen”. My mom stood in line for hoursssssss to get my twin sister and I each one. Love that doll.
Brother and sister…Lenny Stu and Fanny Joanna. I’m pretty sure my mom narrowly avoided a toy store brawl trying to get these dolls at Christmas-time. Thanks Mom!
My 1st cabbage patch doll’s name was Geraldine Winiferd and my mom took some other ladies down at toys r us to get me one!
I had a friend who was a young man in the 80’s who bought many of
these dolls as an “investment” because he just knew they would be collector’s items in several years. We have lost track of each other over the years, but he had a niece whom he adored so I would imagine she inherited his collection. Unless of course he was correct and retired on his investment !
Ingrid Noel:)
OMG! We live about two hours away and I took my daughter the beginning of June. She had a ball, I thought I was the only one a little freaked out about the whole dilation of the cabbage and the “checking”. My daughter even mentioned the concrete heads coming out of the ground were creepy and refused to sit and take a picture of one for me!
I do not remember my CPK name but I do remember how good they smelled and from time to time smell the head of the one we just got in June!
oh my goodness that was the best blog post I’ve read in a long time, both hilarious and amazing. Deffs going on my “take me there” list!
Candace Dahlia
I bawled because I HATED her name. I had been dreaming of a cabbage patch doll and when I got her I cried because her name was just not the stuff of my dreams 🙂
Hazel Beverly. And she is alive and well, residing in a dark closet somewhere at my mom’s house. Side note: our cat is named Beverly, so Hazel Bev’s spirit lives on!
Oona Diana. I loved her! and this sounds fantastic. I probably would have bought dolls for everyone!
Always, always, be the U-Turn Mom.
Bonnie Luna! My brother’s was named Grant something. I totally remember the smell of their heads, too! What a fun discovery on your road trip to share with your kids.
What a lovley blog post! I’m from Finland and got my cabbage patch doll in 1983. Her name was Jane Susanna. 🙂
Marion Dody (red hair and pacifier) I stood in line to get her for my daughter and a lady almost fought me over her. Still have her!
Mine was Audrina Faye!
HANDS DOWN!!!! BEST POST EVER!!!! I want to go to Georgia, right NOW!
This is the funniest thing I’ve read in ages. “Can’t talk. At the Magic Crystal tree.”
… dying.
My cabbage patch kid’s name was Luanne Laverne, but what I remember most about the cpk’s was singing along to their songs on my fisher price record player. (‘Run run run, Otis lee’? anyone?)
Ahem. I also love the naked barbies (poop and grocery store?) and Lainey’s missing teeth. Your kids are the cutest.
My friend, Emily, told me last week that she really doesn’t like her name. I told her, “I like the name Emily, in fact my Cabbage Patch Kid was named Emily Jane.” 🙂
My Cabbage Patch was named Audra Felicity! I want to plan a visit to this place!
I just laughed so hard I actually had tears rolling down my face. Thank you.
Thank you for turning my night around. My stomach hurts from laughing so hard. Tears! Tears of laughter.
But seriously, that place! I can’t even believe it exists! Good thing you stopped and took pictures- no one would believe you!
The birthing process? WTF is right!
Mine was Roweena, 1984 I believe.
Isaac ??Something. Still have him !!! The head has lost the smell though. This was hilarious, and yes, weird !
Doreen celina. She was a preemie, and still resides in my parents basement
Luther Bobby!
Just catching up on your posts and this one brought a tear to my eye. A Cabbage Patch Doll is how I announced my first pregnancy to my husband. I unknowingly chose a boy doll ( Freddy Hugh) in December 1984 and we had a boy in July, 1985. Patrick Joel will be 30 on July 20th. Thanks for the memories!
Louise
Amity Acecile. Weird I know. Prolly not spelled right but that’s what I remover reading. I have 2 others but I can’t remember their names. Also, my brother had a preemie named Ned Casey.
Kathy Lynn still sits on the bakers rack in the hall way after coming into my life in 1982 🙂
Hedda Madge and Nessie and a boy named Mattie – GREAT piece!
Dobrana Grace
I love reading these names! “Hilde Nicki” was my girl.
But seriously, they host weddings on the property as well. We went and there where chairs and such all setup on the front lawn getting ready for the event. Imagine nurses and baby heads after a drink or 10.
I died laughing at this post! And mind was/is Dolores Ivy circa 1985. 🙂
Oh gosh I am so adding this to my “when we someday visit the USA” must do list!
I never had a real cabbage patch doll and only realised mine were fake when some kids at school teased me for not having Xavier written on the butt! I fixed that by scrawling it on with blue pen myself. I forgot all about it and only remembered after naming my first child Xavier, which although is a total coincidence my husband vehemently believes I did it out of some subconscious childhood angst!
Tried to buy one for my daughter in the 80’s when they hit the peak of popularity. All sold out everywhere but the local swap meet. Had to pay $75.00 for it!! Her name was Celina Lea. I will never forget. Great article!
Evie Robena <3
I had Angela Isabelle.
It took me a minute, but I REMEMBER. Her name was.. (drumroll)
BABETTE ROSETTE.
Loved her.
A name worth remembering! YAY FOR BABETTE!
Carley Brittany, Dexter Lewis, Octavia Verna (premie) – Also had 2 of the animals, but forget their names.
My mom found my cabbage patch doll from 1985 in her attic 2 yrs ago. She cleaned her up and gave her back to me for Christmas. Her name is Isadora Hermosa. She now lives in my guest room closet.
Helen was one of my favorite places to visit with my family when i was a kid and i definitely went to the cabage patch doll hospital and think of it every time my girls play with mine!! It didn’t seem creapy at all to me as a child. But now i want to ask my mom what her memory of it is!!
Doretta Marcella officially had her name changed to Marcie Doris. I had kept for a very long time but she seems to have vanished before I could give her to my daughter, but each of my sons has a “boo-boo baby” (not the least bit creative, wouldn’t even use the names that came with) and my girl has 2, 1 baby and 1 big-kid.
I just don’t think i could cope with moving heads….
Toni Frankie! Lol
1979 original soft sculpture cabbage patch yul Savalas and Penelope jayne. Coleco kids 1982 biagio,sapphiria esmerelda
How much to adopt?? And is there a tour?? Or just roam at your own speed??
Weird? Strange? What’s so strange about letting both children and adults use their imaginations to escape the troubles of today? Babyland is a magical place that is a must for every child and child at heart. Cabbage patch kids have stood the test of time and have never left the store shelves since 1983. So, to say the 80’s are alive and well when you visit you must also include the 90’s, 2000’s, etc. cabbage patch kids have a huge following today and are collected by both toung and old, men and woman.
Gretchen. Hated it. Renamed to Ashley.
CAN’T. STOP. LAUGHING!!!
I was a little late to the CPK scene, being a child of the ’90s, but my doll’s name was Raylene and I was obsessed with her! She had dark tresses you could actually “crimp” with a little styling tool that came with her . . . my sister and I each had dolls and took them everywhere with us.
Babyland looks crazy and whacky and delightfully fun. And this actually gave me childbirth flashbacks of both the good and bad variety, so thanks? 🙂
Kelsey Leigh and Tara Nicole
Love this episode from your trip. WTF is right. I’d love an internship there; I bet the hospital staff have some wild stories.
Christopher James was his name. He was a premie and brown and so cute!
Cecelia Presley…….Thanks for the laughs today!
Rupert Eldon It was a boy.
Violet–Sept, 1983! Dying to go back and visit Babyland General again!
Darby Muriel. Where did they come up these crazy names?
Dawn Hilda.
OMG that place is awesome. wow. just wow.
Oh my goodness that sounds like ‘quite’ the place and experience!! I loved my CPK’s….they truly were my first babies! I was lucky to receive Kelly Stella, she had red hair & braids, maybe the Christmas of 85? My mom lucked out that my cousin worked at a Toys R Us that year! I then received Jackie Jane a year or so later (bald baby with the hair on top–very similar to the one your daughter adopted!) Then a few years later I bought my sweet baby boy premie with the beads in his tummy–Quentin Jarvis. I still have all three wrapped in blankets in a bag in one of our closets. Amazing how at 36, I can still easily remember all of their names! 🙂 I hope to take a tour of this interesting hospital someday!
I offered for my 6 year old daughter to play with them, but she decided not to (which was okay). I mentioned to her how the Cabbage Patch Kid dolls were like the “American Girl” dolls of the time. She can then relate a little more to how important these dolls are to me. I also hope that she will keep her AG doll and that it will be just as special to her in the future as well! 🙂
Eleanor Erina she had blond braids and glasses… Don’t tell anyone but I was really to old to have dolls but u had to have one!
Melinda Marlene. She had red braids and freckles and came with a green ruffled dress and lace panties. My mom got rid of her when I grew enough to not play with her anymore. I wish she was still around…My daughters would love her! 🙂 I had no idea the birth hospital exsisted! We may have to pay a visit some day. 🙂
Cherie Marie, my preemie – I still have her. And I have my second CPK that my daughter renamed Anabelle. I kept those two to give to my daughter….have been their mommy since 1984 or so.
Ha! I JUST named my daughter (1 month old) after my childhood cabbage patch kid! Tessa. Sounds strange I know……but I loved her….and the name.
I’ve just been catching up here but had to comment. I’m older than you, but my daughters each had dolls. Eldora Charmaine and Judith Eloise (those are the dolls, not my daughters). Now I need a trip to Georgia!
Charmaine Alvina!
I live in north Atlanta and my sister and her husband and kids came down from Wisconsin to visit. We had planned to going tubing in Helen, but she came across this post before they left Wisconsin. BECAUSE of this post, we HAD to stop. It was straight-up the creepiest/weirdest thing ever. Sadly, there was no birth when we went… but what you failed to mention is the scary AF music they played. The words to one song said “…you want it… you need it” and to another, “I’m not scared, I am not afraid.” Good thing, because I needed the extra vote of confidence to get me through.
Nevertheless, my sister is an artist and could appreciate Xavier’s artistic views. It did bring us both back to the days of our cabbage patch dolls… which I don’t remember the names of, only that they had signatures on their bums.
Anyways, thanks for this hilarious post and for being the reason we all stopped. It was worth it.. and incredibly beautiful, actually. Also, glad we found your blog! Bookmarking!
MELVA MYRTLE!!!
Tay Georgina. She had pink glasses.
You will LOVE this one. I had 2 Cabbage Patch Kids. One was named Trista Marjorie and the other was…LAINEY Carey. What a fun post!
You make me laugh. I like you. If i had to send a writer to review the General Hospital of Cabbage Patch dolls, it would be you. I’m glad you took the initative! Fantastic stuff!
Val Diane. Crazy how I remember that. She had brown hair and green eyes and I loved that CPK so much – By far the most hilarious part of this post is the fact your dad called, and the fact you stated Head Crowning. Gotta Go. HILARIOUS!!!!!
Oh dear, sweet red-headed, green-eyed Barbee Kris and the sweetest little bald, blue-eyed preemie Jacob-Daniel-James (yes, there were 3 hypens)!
Truth be told, I was a little disappointed when I unwrapped old Barbee Kris from under the tree….I was envisioning a blondie or brunette, but after years of wondering and losing sleep (ha ha) my Mom…err, SANTA…confessed that once she made it to Toys R’ Us, the only ones left were the red heads!
Trixi Belladonna is 31years old and has aged so well she looks 2….we also had a discount store here called “Denny’s Salvage” and I am not sure how….but one Christmas that had 2 huge bins on Cabbage Patch “rejects”…no boxes, no signature on the tush, no official birth certificate….but on the back of their heads were the cabbage info….my Daddy, knowing his little girls heart for loving all things just a little different or broken….picked one out for me for Christmas, he even made her a Birth Certificate and named her Christie for Christmas…..she now belongs to my 3yo, who loves her as much, if not more than I did!!
Mine was Zachary Eldridge!
I even remember my cousins’ CPK’s name.. Lou Herb!
Hahahaa! I’ve GOT to go to Georgia!
My first CPK was adopted at KMart….slightly less magical than Babyland…and her name was Pammy Barbie. I went through the official name-change paperwork and got a new birth certificate with the name I chose….Carrie Caroline. Not sure that’s any better!! My 2nd was Lou-Lou Nellie and I can’t for the life of me remember the name of my last one!!!
Only the first….Roberta. I hated it, but look back fondly on the nostalgia of it all. 🙂
Rona Nelly!
When I was in 1st grade, we were on a vacation in the Caribean. We left the hotel and boarded the plane, and it wasn’t until I was buckled in my seat getting settled that I realized I had forgotten her in the hotel bed (under some covers.) I think I cried the entire flight back to NY. My parents reassured me they would call the hotel and take care of it. I had to sleep with my premie, Priscilla, in the meantime. A few weeks went by and my mom picked me up at the bus stop and told me there was a special someone waiting for me in the front seat. I assumed it was grandma because I could see the seatbelt was in use. But, to my surprise it was Rona Nelly – all buckled and safe! The hotel had mailed her back!
I still have her!
Tina Helen 1987. She went every where including family pictures with matching outfits. This is so amazing!!!
Valerie Victoria wearing a ridiculous amount of pink and I still have her!
-Lena Beverly (but I called her Lena May)
-Herb Leonard (twin preemie to my next door neighbor/bff’s baby Monroe Herbert)
-Joyce Fairley (with corn silk hair)
-Dunbar Jason
-and three others that I can’t remember their names…I was an only child – I always wanted a big family. 🙂
I always wanted to go to Babyland General too…I might have to go now the next time I’m in Atlanta. I need to witness the creepy fun for myself. Great post!
I remember driving thru Ga on vacation with my family when I was a kid and seeing a sign for this during a day trip of hiking and such. I begged and pleaded to go and I was told “on the way home” which would of course be after night fall, so it never happened. I have always Wanted to go! I took my son from Fl to Tn this past week and actually debated taking a detour and going by here on the way home. He would have hated it. But I would have loved it! I will go eventually. That is for sure. I did buy a holiday cabbage patch for myself this year instead from the store instead. They were on sale and I couldnt resist. I had to have one! Merry Christmas to me from me! Lol
My original 1980’s Cabbage Patch kid was name Irisa Corine. She had red hair and I called her “firehead” when I adopted her at age 2. I still have her and her papers. And I am now 32. 🙂
I’m utterly late to this conversation, but Antionette Yettie (born in 1983), who is in a box in my garage at this moment, needed her name to be recorded here for future generations to mock!
Also, I should have mentioned that Antoinette was purchased off some random person’s front lawn for $80 of 1983 currency because it was impossible to find any in stores. I would love to know where this woman got them! Did she waylay and rob a delivery truck?
I had 4 cabbage patch kids (spoiled brat I hear you all say!! But seriously that’s all I played with for 3+ years!)
#1. Adopted as Mavis Pheobe (but I didn’t think it suited her so I sent her adoption certificate back & named her Chloe Louise)
#2. Hal (followed by a French name!)
#3. Elisabeth Bernadette
#4. Imogen Noel
Nadine Olive and Avril Ella. How in the world did they come up with the names?
OMG!!!!! I have to go now!!!!!!! Yes my dolls name was Pearly Sally.
Teofilo Casimiro. And I never let him go! I have 5 more cabbage patch kids since him and still sleep with them!
Haha, I didn’t even know they still made cabbage patch dolls…I laughed reading your post! Mine was Candice Millie. My brother called her, “kinda-smelly.”
Mine was Madge Rosanna, but I didn’t like it, so I named her Pudge. (Not like “pudgy”, the ‘u’ is like the ‘oo’ in book. I didn’t know phonics at 3). I still have her, but I won’t let my kids play with her because her body is deteriorated too badly.
Also, that place is beyond creepy.
I am dead. This was the funniest and weirdest post I’ve ever read. That sweet smell of a cabbage patch head though… who knew their birthing experience was so wild.
Belva Evie, Claudia Amelia, and Markie Douglas, a preemie. Markie (Mark) just made partner at his law firm, Claudia has her own line of vegan bath products and Belva has lots of cats.
Yes I do, Her name was Emmie Herrietta!! I mailed in the request to add to her name too, I gave her Marie as her middle name like mine of coarse 🙂
This story cracked me up! I must go there! ~Jill
I purchased a sweet mini cabbage patch from Target today … and I’m feeling a little bit gipped of this whole magical experience. But, nevertheless, it was the head smell that got me too! We are in the middle of a cross country move – and stress is immense – but that sweet baby powder smell makes it all okay. But, dang, now I wish we were moving to Georgia.
She was so lovely
Laughing so hard. I want to GO!!!!
Oh I sure do! Donna Maria Alvarez! The best part is that my grandfather named her 😂
Carolyn Yetta who had the prettiest blonde yarn ‘fro you have ever seen, and Leslie Kyle, who was bald and came with a Velcro baseball hat (constant disappointment). Loved them both.