Katherine Heigl announces plans to adopt

In what may be one cause of her five-show hiatus from Grey’s Anatomy, Katherine Heigl has announced she’s adopting a child.

After marrying musician Josh Kelley in December of 2007, the 30-year old actress is now engaged in adopting a  girl. “It’s a little girl and she’ll be 10 months at the end this month,” Heigl told Ellen on Friday. “She was actually born the day before me in November, so I’ve basically forfeited my birthday for the rest of my life.”

[Katherine was born November 24th, 1978, in Washington D.C.]

Quizzed by the hostess on possible names, Katherine already had one in mind, “I’m naming her after my Mother and Sister Nancy and Leigh,” she explained. “So we call her Naleigh.”

Her own sister, Meg was adopted from Korea and Katherine was asked if this was why she’s not chosen the more popular route to a child. “I’m done with the whole idea of having my own children,” she told People. “It doesn’t seem like fun and I don’t think it’s necessary to go through all that.”

ABC has announced that Katherine will be absent from Gray’s for five shows over next season, but she has taped six which will keep her and her ego on view for some time.

During the break Kate will start work on her next big-screen project, the romantic comedy ‘Life As We Know’, in which she co-stars with Josh Duhamel. They start filming next week.