Hoda Kotb got a very special Valentine's Day gift and she announced it on NBC's TODAY.
Kotb announced via the phone on TODAY's Tuesday, Feb. 21 broadcast that she had adopted a baby girl named Haley Joy. Kotb had been taking some time off from the show recently and shared the news by sending a picture of her with baby Haley to the show. "I adopted her and you can hear her, that's her crying. She's a Valentine's baby. She's a little nugget. She is the love of my life," Kotb said.
Friend and co-anchor Kathy Gifford was overjoyed at the news, which she'd kept secret for weeks. Gushing with support, she told Kotb that she was "made to be a mom."
Prior to her big announcement, Kotb had posted a series of cryptic Instagram posts during her leave of absence from TODAY. One photo showed a picture of a baby's hand gripping an adult finger with the caption, "And then my soul saw you and it kind of went, 'Oh there you are. I've been looking for you.'"
Haley Joy Kotb was born on Valentine's Day of this year. Hoda Kotb says she named Haley after Halley's comet and that her name will continue with the alliterative naming in her family (Hoda's sister's name is Hala and her niece's name is Hannah). "She brings us joy. She’s got a beautiful way about her," she said.