Hoda Kotb has been absent from her NBC morning talk show since February. She had a very good reason to take some time off. That's because the co-host has become a new mom. On Valentine's Day, she called her job and announced she had adopted a baby girl. She has been out with Haley Joy since then. However, she is heading back to the fourth hour of the "Today" show with Kathie Lee Gifford.

Her return was announced on Thursday.

A commercial has been airing this week notifying fans of the new mother that she will be returning soon. Her first day back is on Monday, April 17. The "Today" family will welcome the new mother back. Viewers can expect to hear up-to-date news about the baby girl and how everyone is adjusting.

Even though Haley Joy's mother has been away on maternity leave, she has been in contact with those at her job. In fact, many of her co-workers have visited her and the baby. Of course, Gifford has visited as well as Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Maria Shriver and Al Roker.

Hoda and Kathie Lee recently celebrated their ninth anniversary of working together. The new mother called into the show last Friday to wish her co-worker well and she commented about their time today. Regis Philbin was a guest host at the time.

The adoption

Hoda was interviewed by People magazine shortly after the adoption in the nursery of her Upper West Side penthouse. She opened up about how emotional it was for her as she went through the adoption process because cancer prevented her from having a baby. During the interview, she said she was adjusting to bottle feeding, diaper changes and a lack of sleep. However, she said she didn't mind at all.

Only a few people on the show knew about the adoption.

Others were totally surprised when the television personality called into the live broadcast on February 14 to announce the good news. Before the adoption, the 52-year-old journalist had moved in with her boyfriend of two years, New York financier Joel Schiffman, 58. Initially, it wasn't revealed if he was part of the adoption. However, recent news seems to indicate that he is involved in the baby's life.

Even though Haley Joy's name is spelled differently, her mother explained that she named her after Halley's comet because she imagined her newborn sailing through the sky. The name also fits in with other family members' names. Hoda has a sister named Hala and a niece name Hannah. Her middle name represents how the family feels about the new addition that is pure joy.