'The door is still open': Hoda Kotb, 54, admits she is considering welcoming a third child, just weeks after adopting newborn daughter Hope Catherine

  • Hoda, her two-year-old daughter Haley Joy, and her newborn Hope Catherine appear together on the front cover of People magazine this week 
  • In an accompanying interview, the Today anchor confessed that she is open to bringing another child into their family, especially as she 'comes from three'
  • Hoda and her partner Joel Schiffman adopted Haley Joy in 2017, and revealed in a surprise announcement last month that they'd welcomed a second daughter 
  • She said that the couple began thinking about a second adoption almost immediately after bringing Haley home 
  • The Today star has previously spoken out about her thoughts on being an older mother, and what it means for her children 
  • She confessed that part of the reason she adopted Hope was so that Haley would have someone else to 'witness her life' when her parents are gone  

It has only been a few weeks since Hoda Kotb revealed that she had adopted a second baby girl in a joyful surprise announcement - but the Today anchor has confessed that she is already considering bringing a third child into her family. 

The 54-year-old mother-of-two spoke out about the potential of expanding her family in a new interview with People, revealing to the publication that 'the door is still open' as far as a third child is concerned. 

'I come from three, so I think the door’s still open,' Hoda admitted in the latest issue of the publication, which features the TV host and her two beloved daughters, Haley Joy and Hope Catherine, on its cover this week.  

Joyful: Hota Kotb, 54, has revealed that the 'door is open' when it comes to adopting a third child, just weeks after she welcomed newborn Hope Catherine into her family

Joyful: Hota Kotb, 54, has revealed that the 'door is open' when it comes to adopting a third child, just weeks after she welcomed newborn Hope Catherine into her family 

In the image, Hoda is seen beaming with pride as she cradles her newborn baby girl Hope, while two-year-old Haley, who has a huge grin on her face, is seen standing alongside her mom and leaning in to give her a cuddle. 

The heartwarming photo shoot, and its accompanying interview, come just a few weeks after Hoda stunned Today viewers - and a few Today anchors - with the surprise news that she and her partner Joel Schiffman had adopted a second child. 

But while the news may have come as a shock to those outside the Kotb-Schiffman family, Hoda has now revealed that the couple began considering a second adoption almost as soon as they had brought Haley home. 

'I wanted another child, and I also thought Haley needs somebody to witness her life all the way through,' she explained. 'A second child would just make it complete.'

So the couple began pursuing next steps with their adoption agency just three months after they had first brought their baby daughter into their lives - and after waiting a requisite nine more months, taking them to a year after their first adoption - they filed paperwork to apply for another adoption. 

All in all, the process took a lot longer than their decision-making, with Hoda admitting that the couple faced a lot of disappointment along the way in the form of potential matches than would end up falling through. 

'So much time passed that I started to think that maybe it’s not for us,' she said, while noting that she was 'perfectly happy' with life as a mother-of-one, and therefore resolved to focus on that, rather than the possibility of another child.  

Expanding family: The Today anchor and her partner Joel Schiffman welcomed their eldest daughter Haley Joy in February 2017, and brought home Hope Catherine two years later

Expanding family: The Today anchor and her partner Joel Schiffman welcomed their eldest daughter Haley Joy in February 2017, and brought home Hope Catherine two years later  

Meaningful: Although their second adoption came as a surprise to many, Hoda confessed that the couple began thinking about it almost immediately after bringing Haley home

Meaningful: Although their second adoption came as a surprise to many, Hoda confessed that the couple began thinking about it almost immediately after bringing Haley home 

Big brood: Hoda revealed to People that she and Joel faced several disappointments during their adoption process in the form of potential matches that fell through

Big brood: Hoda revealed to People that she and Joel faced several disappointments during their adoption process in the form of potential matches that fell through 

However, Hoda says that the couple never gave up hope that a second child would come - and when she did, they could think of no better name to give her than the word that had motivated them through the lengthy process to get her.  

Joel and Hoda even began 'prepping' Haley for her role as an older sibling, with the Today anchor explaining: 'We were kind of prepping her, saying, "Pretty soon you're going to have a brother or a baby sister," and she'd say, "Baby brother coming. Baby sister coming."' 

They also avoided turning their third bedroom into an office, instead keeping it on-hold for a second child. 

Hoda was at work when she finally got the call from her agency to tell her that a baby had been born, explaining that her heart began 'pounding' when she picked up the phone, before the person on the other line told her: 'It's a girl.'   

As for how she is adapting to life as a mother-of-two, Hoda confessed that there had been something of a learning curve, admitting that balancing the needs of two children took a little bit of getting used to.  

But it seems she got to grips with it after just a few weeks, and she told People that she feels much less frantic than she did when she first brought Hope home. 

And since that moment, Hoda has been happily sharing her joy with all of her friends, family, and colleagues, with the TV host posting dozens of happy pictures of visitors who have come to celebrate their new addition.   

Friends: Since Hope's arrival, Hoda has been sharing photos of Today co-stars who stopped by her home to meet her adopted newborn daughter, including Meredith Vieira (pictured)

Friends: Since Hope's arrival, Hoda has been sharing photos of Today co-stars who stopped by her home to meet her adopted newborn daughter, including Meredith Vieira (pictured)

Too cute: Dylan Dreyer, 37, brought her two-year-old son, Calvin, to play with Hoda's two-year-old daughter, Haley Joy

Too cute: Dylan Dreyer, 37, brought her two-year-old son, Calvin, to play with Hoda's two-year-old daughter, Haley Joy

All smiles: Savannah Guthrie, 47, and Jenna Bush Hager, 37, met baby Hope on April 16, just hours after Hoda had announced that she had adopted a second child

All smiles: Savannah Guthrie, 47, and Jenna Bush Hager, 37, met baby Hope on April 16, just hours after Hoda had announced that she had adopted a second child

Last week, she took to Instagram to share photos of herself and her daughters Hope and Haley Joy with her beloved colleagues, who all took turns visiting the sweet family. 

'Our family of friends. Love our NBC posse,' Hoda captioned the heartwarming images that show many of her Today show pals cradling her baby girl.

In the first photo, a smiling Hoda is holding two-year-old Haley while Meredith Vieira is leaning over Hope's bassinet. Meredith, 65, has been filling in for Hoda and co-hosting the fourth hour of the Today show with Jenna Bush Hager. 

Jenna, 37, was one of the first people to meet baby Hope. She and Savannah Guthrie, 47,  admitted that they showed up at Hoda's home right after she introduced the newest addition to her family.    

The special visit took place just hours after Hoda called into the Today show to reveal he had adopted a second baby girl to give Haley a sibling 

'Jenna and I went right over right after the show. I don't even know if we were invited, but we went in and we saw the baby, Savannah said. 'She's adorable. Hoda is doing great and is just so happy and pleased. It's really wonderful.' 

The sweet photo from the visit shows Savannah holding Hope while Jenna is cuddled up to Haley. Hoda, meanwhile, is squeezed next to her eldest daughter as they all smile for the camera. 

Right at home: Al Roker visited Hoda just a few days later and happily posed for photos with Hoda and her family

Right at home: Al Roker visited Hoda just a few days later and happily posed for photos with Hoda and her family 

Too cute: The mother-of-two also received a visit from Today executive producer Libby Leist, who happily cuddled with Hope and Haley

Too cute: The mother-of-two also received a visit from Today executive producer Libby Leist, who happily cuddled with Hope and Haley 

Pucker up: Today social media producer Donna Farizan gave little Haley a sweet kiss on the cheek

Pucker up: Today social media producer Donna Farizan gave little Haley a sweet kiss on the cheek 

Al Roker, 64, visited Hoda and her girls last Thursday and shared precious photos of himself holding baby Hope and reading to Haley.   

The mother-of-two also received visits from Today executive producer Libby Leist and social media producer Donna Farizan. 

Hoda surprised her Today co-hosts on April 16 when she called into the show to announce that she had adopted a second child. 

'It's a girl!' she tearfully announced to Savannah, Dylan, Al, Sheinelle Jones, and Willie Geist, before adding: 'And her name is Hope Catherine.'

Hoda's news prompted a round of applause from her Today colleagues, with Dylan tearing up, exclaiming: 'Hoda congratulations, I am so happy for you,' while Al simply said, 'Oh wow!'   

Jenna, who joined Hoda as her official co-host for the fourth hour of the show only a week before, was reduced to tears as she asked her friend: 'Hoda, how is life with two?' 

'Oh my God, you guys. Well, first of all, she's laying on the pillow right now, and I'm feeding her, and I can't believe it!' a delighted Hoda told her co-hosts, while Savannah and Jenna dabbed their eyes with tissues. 

'This makes me so happy': Hoda's mother, Sameha, celebrated Easter with the family-of-four, and the journalist posted a sweet photo of her mom giving Hope a bottle

'This makes me so happy': Hoda's mother, Sameha, celebrated Easter with the family-of-four, and the journalist posted a sweet photo of her mom giving Hope a bottle

Too cute: Earlier in the day, the proud mom posted images of Haley dying Easter eggs

Too cute: Earlier in the day, the proud mom posted images of Haley dying Easter eggs

Supervising: One sweet photo shows Haley watching her dad intently as he dyes an egg red

Supervising: One sweet photo shows Haley watching her dad intently as he dyes an egg red

'In your life you think that maybe you've gotten what you deserve, but man I'm so happy she's here,' Hoda continued through her tears.  

The new mother-of-two continued to say that her eldest daughter, Haley, couldn't be more excited to have a little sister, revealing that the two-year-old has already happily embraced her role as a big sibling. 

'Haley is digging it,' she said. 'This morning at breakfast, she was trying to feed [Hope] her raspberries, and I was like, "Not yet babe!"

'She was literally marching around saying, "I'm a big sister!" I mean ... she did try to crawl into her bassinet, but it's so much fun, you guys.'  

Hoda went on to describe the heartwarming moment that Haley met her newborn sister for the very first time while sharing the emotional meaning behind her baby girl's name. 

'We had Haley downstairs and Joel and I said, "Wait, we have a present. We have a present!" and we went upstairs and we came down holding her. And we had been telling [Haley], "Baby Hope is coming," and she literally walked up to her and said, "Hope!"

'It was one of those moments,' Hoda continued. 'First of all, I can't imagine any of this is happening. I feel like I'm going to wake up and God is going to say, "Remember how you were before all of this? That's literally the way it is." 

'You hope, you pray, and you dream about things, and we thought about Hope.'    

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Hoda Kotb, 54, is considering adopting a third child

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