Hoda Kotb Talks About Adjusting to Life as a Mother of Two: ‘In a Blink, Life Changes’

Hoda Kotb Talks About Adjusting to Life as a Mother of Two: ‘In a Blink, Life Changes’
Hoda Kotb attends the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on Sept, 17, 2018. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

“Today” show host Hota Kotb said that her life drastically changed when she became a mother of two.

Kotb adopted a baby girl named Hope Catherine in April. She said that the second time around has been a lot different.

“I forgot everything!” she told People magazine. “I was like, ‘How do you hold the baby? How do you feed a baby? How do you swaddle?’ I was googling swaddling and—you’re not going to believe this—how to put on pajamas.”

The baby girl joined Kotb’s first child, 2-year-old Haley Joy, who Kotb also adopted.

“I just can’t believe how in a blink, life changes, and all of a sudden there are two babies in this house. I’m just overwhelmed with joy,” said Kotb, 54.

Kotb announced the adoption of Hope Catherine in a phone call to other hosts on the April 16 episode of “Today.”

“It’s a girl! And her name is Hope!” Kotb could be heard saying on the phone as “Today” hosts wiped away tears. She said that Haley Joy was excited about being a big sister.

“This morning at breakfast, (Haley) was trying to feed (Hope) her raspberries, and I was like, ‘Not yet, babe,”’ Kotb said during the phone call. “She was literally marching around saying, ‘I’m a big sister!”’

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Kotb said that her “heart just grew” when she saw the baby she would be raising 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,” Kotb said. “My heart is, like, exploding.”

She said that she long planned 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.”

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Kotb told People magazine that adding a second child helped to give her a better perspective on life.

“My first time around, I spent my whole time going, ‘I got it! I got it!’ I didn’t know what to expect with two. All of a sudden, with two kids, you’re like, ‘Wait, baby one is crying, baby two needs to be put down. Hope is hungry, Haley needs me,'” she said.

“I was always like, ‘I have to fix it! Here I come.’ Now I’m just like, ‘Haley’s safe. She’s good. The baby’s going to eat in a minute. She’ll be okay.'”

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