Kathie Lee Gifford Shares New Photo of Sweet Grandbaby Named after Her Late Husband

• Kathie Lee Gifford was a widow who lost her husband of nearly 30 years.

• Kathie Lee became a grandmother for the first time at 68, and the baby’s name shocked her at first.

• The proud grandmother shared a new picture of her five-month-old grandbaby, who already looked like her late husband.

In 2015, Kathie Lee Gifford was brokenhearted after losing her husband of 29 years, Frank Gifford Sr. She described her late husband as having a generous heart, beautiful, and someone who loved deeply and fully.

The former “Today” show co-host said Frank Sr. left an incredible legacy in the lives he’d changed and touched. The late sportscaster died at age 84 from natural causes on August 9, 2015.

Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford appear on the “Today” show on June 12, 2012 | Source: Getty Images

The former New York Giants running back was survived by his wife and their two children, Cody and Cassidy. He also left behind three other children from a previous marriage, but Kathie Lee remained hopeful and strong, telling People magazine: “We will miss him for the rest of our lives.”

She revealed how she and her family found joy, strength, hope, and comfort from the fact that they would see him again in heaven. During a “Today” appearance, Kathie Lee shared how she was leaning into her faith to get through the tragedy, saying:

“The Lord gives it to them. the Lord takes it away. And that’s something that my family and I have been through.”

Frank, Kathie Lee, Cody, and Cassidy Erin Gifford at the Broadway Opening Night Performance After Party for “Scandalous The Musical” in New York City on November 15, 2012 | Source: Getty Images

Little did the former television personality know that her late husband would be reincarnated! Kathie Lee and the rest of her family were blessed with a child who came to help them heal and move on.

Baby Boy Became a Blessing for the Giffords

After losing her husband and her children’s father, Kathie Lee and her family were in line for some blessings! In June 2022, the television personality shared how her heart was “bursting.” with the arrival of a baby boy named Frank Michael Gifford Jr.

The Instagram post included a picture of Cody smiling at the camera while taking a sweet photo of his wife cradling their newborn son at the hospital. His mother revealed that the little boy’s birth confirmed that God was merciful, good, faithful, and loved us.

On June 1, 2022, Cody’s wife, Erika Gifford, shared in an Instagram post that they’d welcomed a baby boy and revealed his name. She explained that the child was named after her husband’s late father.

During an appearance on “Today with Hoda & Jenna,” Kathie Lee noted how “surprised” she was that Cody had named his son after his late father because he knew what it was like growing up “in the shadow of a great man.”

However, she figured Cody hadn’t gotten over his father’s death and never would because Frank Sr. was and would always be his hero. Although little Frank Jr. arrived three weeks early, his grandmother said he came at the perfect time, adding:

“Is there a greater miracle in the entire world than the birth of a child? Show me, show me a bigger one, a better one, a sweeter one.”

Kathie Lee, who became a first-time grandmother at 68, also confessed she knew instantly that she would love Frank Jr. because she loved babies. The star recalled being at the hospital after giving birth to her daughter and how Cody kept kissing his sister’s head.

Another Twitter user that Frank [Michael Gifford] Jr. had “the sweetest little face.”

She remembered him asking her why he loved Cassidy’s little head so much, and Kathie Lee said it was because it was precious. The television star urged the little boy to continue kissing his sibling but to be gentle.

So when she saw Cody doing the same thing to Frank Jr.’s head and getting lost in the little boy’s smell, Kathie Lee couldn’t help but get caught up in the beauty of the moment. In a recent post, November 2022, the star couldn’t help but show how much her grandson had grown.

Five-Month-Old Frank Jr. Already Looks Like His Late Grandfather

On November 3, 2022, Kathie Lee took to Twitter to share a close-up image of her “precious little bubbela,” showing how the five-month-old baby had grown. Speaking for him, she said he wished her fans a blessed Thursday and hoped they were happy and healthy.

The toothless little bundle of joy looked so cute in his chicken-covered onesie as he looked straight at the camera. Fans swarmed to the comment section, with one person noting how “adorable” he was and that grandchildren were blessings from God, while someone else wrote:

“More than precious…look at that beautiful lil face!!”

Frank Gifford returned to the Giants as a flanker after 18 months of retirement from a serious head injury in 1960, in New York in August 1962 | Source: Getty Images

Another Twitter user said Frank Jr. had “the sweetest little face.” A fourth person felt the little boy looked a lot like his father and late grandfather, while someone said the little boy’s head was shaped like Frank Sr.’s and that he’d grow up to be good-looking.

Another fan noted how Kathie Lee‘s grandson looked precisely like a Gifford. The social media user thought the little boy favored his “handsome” late grandfather and his “equally gorgeous dad!!”