Hoda Kotb has revealed that she and her fiancé Joel Schiffman are exploring the possibility of adopting a third child together — and all signs are pointing to them expanding their family.
The Today host, 56, and her longtime partner, 62, have two adopted daughters together: Haley Joy, three, and Hope Catherine, one. Joel also has a 26-year-old daughter Kyle from a previous relationship.
‘It’s funny, I think to myself — and I’ve obviously had a conversation with Joel about it, many conversations — but I feel like, well, can we? Yes. Will our family be better with it? Yes. Do we have enough love in the house? Yes. All the answers seem to say yes,’ Hoda told People.
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Opening up: Hoda Kotb, 56, has revealed that she and her fiancé Joel Schiffman, 62, are exploring the possibility of adopting their third child together
Family: Hoda and Joel have two adopted daughters together: Haley Joy, three, and Hope Catherine, one. Joel also has 26-year-old daughter Kyle from a previous relationship
‘I think then you just wait and see if it’s meant to be for you,’ she continued.
‘That’s where we are on that. I feel like families come in so many different shapes and sizes and as long as there’s lots of love, I think they’ll endure. I’m just going to wait and see on that one.’
But while Hoda is staying relatively coy about any plans for another child, a source told OK! that she and Joel would ‘love to have a boy’ and are weighing all of their options, from adopting again to surrogacy.
‘They’re so happy with parenthood and tell their friends it’s the reason they feel so young and energetic,’ the source said, adding: ‘Hoda and Joel hope to have a little one this time next year — if not sooner!’
Hoda, who was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 42 years old, came out of treatment unable to conceive and believed for a long time that motherhood just wasn’t in the cards for her.
However nearly a decade later, the Today host began considering adoption – an idea that she decided to discuss with her then-boyfriend Joel, who was immediately on-board, with Hoda revealing that his enthusiastic reaction moved her to tears.
Growing family? Hoda said she has asked herself if their ‘family will be better’ with a third child and if ‘they have enough love in the house’ and the answer is yes
Candid: While Hoda admitted that she worries about not always being there to support her daughters as they get older, she is reassured by their incredible bond
‘I am lucky that I have an incredible life partner who was so supportive and so open to it,’ Hoda told DailyMail.com in 2018.
Hoda was 52 years old when she and Joel adopted Haley in February 2017, making her a mom for the first time. Before they welcomed Hope in April 2019, the couple asked themselves many of the same questions they are asking themselves now.
In her latest interview with People, she opened up about her concerns about being an older mother. While she worries about not always being there to support her daughters as they get older, she is reassured by their incredible bond.
‘I was watching them yesterday and they were in the living room playing and they’re holding hands. I just looked at them,’ she said. ‘Because one of my, obviously, concerns is as an older mom, you want them to be loved forever, for their whole life. It can be scary to think of that.
‘When I saw them standing there holding hands together and they were literally in our apartment, walking back and forth, holding hands,’ she continued. ‘I looked at Joel and I said: “I think we did it. … I think they’re lifelong, forever. I think they’re going to help each other forever.”
Talk: Hoda also opened up about the possibility of adopting another child on Wednesday’s episode of the Today show, saying she and Joel have discussed it
‘It was so moving to me in that moment for some reason to look at them, oblivious to us, just there together, holding hands,’ she added. ‘I was thinking in that moment, I hope you guys have your hands in each other’s hands for the rest of your life.’
Hoda’s eldest daughter Haley is in preschool, and she is the one who drops her off and picks her up from her socially distanced classroom.
‘When they go in, I’m watching her face,’ she said. ‘When I see her pointing to her friend saying, ‘That’s my mom out there,’ it makes me want to weep.’
The proud mom explained that one of her ‘favorite things’ is when she picks up Haley from school and the little girl runs into her arms.
‘I scoop her up. It’s the best,’ she said.
Hoda, who is promoting her new collection of inspirational quotes, ‘This Just Speaks to Me,’ also touched upon the possibility of adopting a third child while co-hosting the Today show on Wednesday.
Support: Hoda was unable to conceive after being treated for breast cancer when she was 42. Joel was immediately onboard when she said she wanted pursue adoption and become a mom
Waiting game: Hoda and Joel were planning to have a beachside destination wedding this fall, but they have officially postponed their nuptials due to the coronavirus pandemic
‘Sometimes in your life, you always wonder how much room do you have in your heart and how big is your heart,’ she explained. ‘Can it expand to accommodate?
‘I feel like we do stories all the time and you meet somebody who just opened their heart up,’ she said, recalling her recent interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s father Luis.
‘He brought another child into their family, and he said it was one of the most beautiful moments of his life,’ she said. ‘Joel and I have discussed it before. Like do we have the time? Do we have the love? Will the family be better?’
Hoda and Joel were planning to have a beachside destination wedding this fall, but they have officially postponed their nuptials due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Her co-host Jenna Bush Hager noted that she wasn’t at all dramatic about the change of plans, saying Hoda didn’t even mention that the wedding was postponed. She just sent out an email.
‘We had to revise — because everyone did,’ she said. ‘I mean, everyone who had a wedding was like, “Not doing that.” But we’ll do it later.’