A Trip to the Hospital

We went to Cleveland, GA, to Babyland General Hospital, the home of all Cabbage Patch Kids.

When we planned our trip to the mountains of north Georgia, we didn’t even know that we would be so close to the birthplace of these famous dolls. A friend heard we were coming up here and told us to be sure to go see the Hospital. I’m so glad she did.

We drove up to the “Hospital” and were struck by the coolness of the building.

When you walk in the front door, it is as if you were actually walking into a hospital. The receptionists were in full nurse uniforms, including the hats. (That’s the one picture I wish I had taken and didn’t.) You sign in and then move through the nursery area to a larger room full of "Kids". You just can’t help but smile.

A school class appeared to be in session here:

And lunch was being served:

"Kids" were everywhere.

We even witnessed a “birth”. One of the nurses came to the tree to help deliver the new baby. They really played it up big. It was a very imaginative production. And then the little girl was “born”.

There were eight or so people present for all this. When the baby was presented, the nurse asked us to name her. Someone offered “Hannah” as the first name. When asked for the middle name, Julian chimed in with “Christina”. So we contributed to the naming of a new little baby. There will be a “Kid” added to the nursery named Hannah Christina. What a hoot!

After all this, it was time to pick out a “Kid” for our granddaughter, Sha’Micah. She will be five at the end of October. This will be her Christmas present from Grandma and Grandpa this year.

We wanted a toddler rather than a newborn, to be closer to Sha’Micah’s own age. She had to be dark skinned and have great black curly hair. We found her in the corner, resting with a friend on a small bed. She was perfect. We had a nearby nurse take our picture with her.

We asked for a different outfit to be put on her, which they were happy to do. We also picked out a second outfit and shoes so she would have something different to wear right away. (They tell us any clothes 3 to 6 months in size will fit these Kids. Cool!) Then it was off to the adoption station.

We filled out the paperwork, deciding on a name.

Meet Julonna Mijoy Cole, born October 31, 2008. She has a very official-looking birth certificate stating all this. (She’s wearing her new clothes, standing on the couch of our motor home.)

We named her after us, of course (Julian & Donna). Her middle name is the same as Sha’Micah’s. Amazingly, her birth date is the same, too, just three years later!

Can you tell that we really enjoyed the experience? We did – and more than either of us had anticipated. They really play up the fantasy and make it fun for everyone.

I plan to make a mini-album of these pictures and write the story along with the photos. We’ll give that to Sha’Micah along with Julonna at Christmas. I can’t wait!