Hoda Kotb has adopted a second baby girl!
The TODAY co-anchor made the heartwarming announcement during a phone interview Tuesday, revealing that she had adopted a baby girl and named her Hope Catherine Kotb, which means daughter Haley Joy, 2, has become a big sister.
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"I'm feeding her, and I can't believe it,'' a tearful Hoda said. "I'm so happy she's here!"
It's been only a few days, but Haley Joy has already embraced her new role.
"This morning at breakfast, (Haley) was trying to feed (Hope) her raspberries, and I was like, 'Not yet, babe,''' Hoda joked. "She was literally marching around saying, 'I'm a big sister!'''
Haley was even sleeping under Hope's bassinet at one point.
As the TODAY anchors dabbed away tears after hearing the news, Hoda spoke about having room in her heart to raise another child with boyfriend Joel Schiffman.
"You know what's funny? You think that you're full,'' she said. "That's exactly how I felt with Haley and Joel and everything. Joel and I were standing there when they hand you the baby, and it's the closest thing to a live birth you'll ever see, but in that moment, I was like, 'Oh, my God, my heart just grew.' It's amazing. I can't believe it's happening."
Hoda further gushed to Savannah Guthrie and Jenna Bush Hager on the fourth hour of TODAY, saying, "My heart is, like, exploding."
Hoda had long wished to adopt a second child.
"In my heart I was like, 'Please, God, I hope this is something you anticipate for me,'' she said. "To get the call is so mind-blowing, you can't believe someone's saying come and get her, she's here. It's amazing."
The couple also wanted to give Haley a sister to grow up with together.
"I think having a sister to go through life with is so important,'' Hoda said. "Joel and I are older parents. I wanted to make sure there was somebody to witness her life."
Their new baby's name was inspired by the couple's yearning to have another child. Hoda said that the word "hope" appeared in her journal "about ten million times" as she wrote about her wish to adopt a second child.
"The name came because there are a lot of women out there who are hoping that their day is coming too, and I know the feeling of it not happening for a long time," she said.
Hoda gave Hope the middle name of Catherine in honor of her best friend, Karen Swensen, whose 15-year-old daughter is named Catherine.
Swensen lost her husband of 18 years, New Orleans homicide detective John Ronquillo, when he died at 64 from cancer last year.
Swensen and her daughter also both happened to be on TODAY last week as part of the inaugural Best Friend Friday with Hoda and Jenna. The two went to see a game at Yankee Stadium in New York City over the weekend in honor of what would've been Ronquillo's 65th birthday.
"It was a very emotional time for all of us,'' Hoda said. "I said to Catherine, 'You're the strongest kid I know.'''
Hoda, 54, became a first-time mom in 2017 when she adopted Haley Joy and has often spoken about the life-changing experience of adopting.
"I feel like if you're meant to have a child in your life, your child is out there,'' Hoda said on TODAY on World Adoption Day in 2018. "They said to me at the adoption agency, 'Don't worry, your child is out there waiting for you.' And I remember I would scribble in my journal, 'I know you're there.' I could feel her."
Hoda hinted at her big announcement a day earlier with an Instagram post that read "Choose Hope." Little did we know she was talking about daughter No. 2.
Hoda has shared plenty of sweet moments with Haley over the last few years, like going on an Easter egg hunt, strolling on the beach, setting out on a weekend trip and having Haley blow her a kiss from her crib.
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Now it's time to do it all over again with Hope Catherine. We're so happy for you, Hoda!