Hoda Kotb has caused quite a ruckus recently with photos of her daughters, Hope Catherine, 2, and Haley Joy, 4, wearing t-shirts that said: "I'm the big sister."
Naturally, her fans immediately thought that she had adopted, or was going to adopt, a third child with fiancé Joel Schiffman, however, she felt the need to clarify everything.
During an appearance on "People (the TV Show!), the 57-year-old told host Kay Adams that they did not adopt another child and that the t-shirts were simply a mistake on her part.
Hoda Kotb on the left and her daughters Hope and Haley on the right | Photo: Getty Images | Instagram.com/hodakotb
WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
According to Kotb, she is quite a fan of Amazon and does a lot of shopping online, but when she buys something she usually doubles the items.
The whole adoption process has stalled since not many children are being put up for adoption.
She told Adams that she found the t-shirt on sale and decided to buy one, but clicked twice and only realized what it said later: "Oh, they both say big sister. Okay!"
After everything was cleared up, Kotb added that, even though they didn't welcome another child into their home, it is something they hope for but that they are not stressing about it.
Hoda Kotb and Joel Schiffman at the 2018 TIME 100 Gala at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City | Photo: Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
PLAYING THE WAITING GAME
The mother-of-two shared that they are currently waiting patiently, and that "if it comes, it comes," just like she said last year when asked if she was looking forward to expanding her family:
"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."
During a conversation with actress Drew Barrymore on "The Drew Barrymore Show," Kotb said that they have filed the paperwork and that all they can do now is wait because it is in "God's hands."
The "Today" host was also surprised to learn that, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the whole adoption process has stalled since not many children are being put up for adoption.
Kotb was told by the adoption agency that people who would have a child and give it to someone else to raise because they couldn't afford to do so are holding on to them.
The reason behind this, according to Kotb, is that those people are keeping the children because they don't have anything else at the moment, so that is why she is "wisely" waiting for her turn.
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