Hoda Kotb’s Daughter Haley Joy Has ‘Adjusted Incredibly Well’ to Being a Big Sister
While the talk has been about Hoda Kotb‘s new adopted daughter, Hope Catherine, lately, the TV personality’s first child, Haley, is also all about her baby sister!
News of the 54-year-old adopting another child came as quite the surprise to us all, but it is something that has been in the works for some time. “They began preparing Haley for Hope’s arrival about two months ago,” a friend of the Today cohost revealed exclusively to Closer Weekly. “Haley has play dates with other children, children who have siblings, so it’s something she’s wondered about. So when [Hoda] and Joel told Haley she too was going to have a sibling, she absolutely loved the notion!”
While a new child is being introduced into the household, the 2-year-old has not been phased at all. “Hoda laughs and says part of the fascination for Haley is that she will have a little sister she can boss around. But Haley has adjusted incredibly well — and being that she is just a toddler herself, they aren’t so far apart in age that they can’t grow up as playmates as well,” the friend explained. That said, the broadcast journalist still made sure her little one understood everything beforehand.
“There have been a lot of heart-to-hearts between Hoda and Haley, making sure she knows how special she is to them and that Hope is an addition, not a replacement, which is something [Haley] could think if not handled the right way,” the pal said. “Hoda makes sure Haley knows she’s going to get all the love and attention that she ever did, with the bonus of having a sister around as well.”
Hoda now shares two children with her longtime boyfriend, Joel Schiffman. The pair may say their I do’s in the near future if the 61-year-old gets his way. “Honestly, I think Joel is more gung-ho about the idea of getting married than Hoda is,” another friend exclusively shared with Closer Weekly. “He sees it as a natural progression of things. But Hoda sees them at their ages that they could live out their days blissfully without ever tying the knot.”
Will there be another surprise announcement in the future?
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