MSNBC Anchor Nicole Wallace Welcomes Baby at 51
Her child was born via a surrogate.
Deadline: White House MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace is the new mother of a baby girl. As part of Tuesday's newscast, Alicia Menendez answered a call on-air from Wallace, who had been absent from her hosting duties over the past week due to other commitments. As she greeted her fellow anchor, Wallace, 51, shared exciting news and explained her whereabouts.
"I have not looked at my phone in a week, and I am amazed at the theories out there," she told Menendez. "I understand why the truth was ruled out by so many people that Mike and I had a baby. Her name is Isabella Sloane Schmidt, and Mike and Liam and I are all smitten with her."
Liam, 11, is her son with her former husband Mark Wallace. Isabella is her first child with her current husband, Michael S. Schmidt. There was no doubt that the family was overjoyed when Isabella was born, but the television host joked that their dogs "are rendering judgment" about their new little addition.
"I wasn't pregnant," she said after revealing she kept the details of the growing family to herself until the baby was born by surrogacy. "I'm so happy to share our happy news today," she said. Wallace acknowledged that there were "pros and cons to being a mom again at 51." In addition, she provided an account of her experience adjusting to life with her new child.
"You are tired," she stated. "I was up all night long last night, and I was like, 'Oh wow. Yeah, this is what 3:45 a.m. looks like.'" Wallace described it as a "blessing to be focused again on what has always grounded me," in particular, her family.
She also said Liam was stepping up nicely as a big brother for the first time. His mother said that he was calmer than she and Schmidt at the beginning and quickly got used to picking up Isabella. Liam, as she put it, "just has a knack for the sway," according to his mother.
The political commentator mentioned that she found herself swaying at the bank earlier in the day, although she wasn't holding the infant. She also assured viewers that she would not leave the show but would only be out for a short time. "I'm so lucky, and so grateful that [you're] helming these hours while I take a couple months to hang out with Izzy," she said, adding that her family has been watching the show.