Here's the Emotional True Story Behind Hoda Kotb's New Book

From Woman's Day

You Are My Happy, the new children's book by Today host Hoda Kotb, tells the sweet story of a mama bear and baby bear who snuggle and share the happiest moments from their day as they settle down to sleep. But the real-life story behind Hoda's new book might be even sweeter.

Hoda adopted her now-2-year-old daughter, Haley Joy, in February 2017. The adoption process was an emotional one for the morning show host, who had previously admitted that she felt like she had missed her opportunity to have children of her own: "They said to me at the adoption agency, 'Don't worry, your child is out there waiting for you,'" she told her Today co-host Jenna Bush-Hager last November. "And I remember I would scribble in my journal, 'I know you're there.' I could feel her."

Now that she's finally a mom, Hoda doesn't take a moment with her baby girl for granted - and as she told her Today co-hosts, she especially cherishes the sweet moments they share every night before Haley Joy goes to sleep. In fact, Hoda's own bedtime routine with her daughter is what inspired her to write children's book You Are My Happy.

She explained during Tuesday morning's show:

It doesn't get much sweeter than that.

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