Jenna Bush Hager has many qualities that set her apart from others. For one, she and her twin sister Barbara are the children of a former president. And that means that she, like many other presidential children, got a lot of negative attention during their dad's time in office. Being a first daughter is a lot of pressure.
Named after her maternal grandmother, Jenna Hawkins Welch, Jenna Bush Hager was on the brink of high school and on the way to college when her father took office in 2001. Mostly, both she and her sister were known for partying. The twins faced two alcohol-related arrests five weeks into starting college. It may happen to a lot of new college freshman, but it's a bit more embarrassing and shameful when your father is the US president.
Still, Jenna didn't let these charges stop her from pursuing a career for herself. In 2007, she published a nonfiction book called Ana's Story: A Journey of Hope. The story detailed her time working with the organization UNICEF. Specifically, it tells the story of a 17-year-old mother named Ana whom Jenna had worked with.
The book was just one step in proving that Jenna was more than just an embarrassing headline. Jenna's activism was something she carried with her. In 2008, she and her sister wrote the book Read All About It! which helped promote literacy in young children. She knew that learning how to read was one of the most important and life-changing skills an individual can develop.
But her biggest successes came this past decade — and that's what Jenna tried to highlight on Instagram. After she was hired by NBC in 2009, her career really took off. She not only became a welcoming face on the team of Today, but she's even filled in for key anchors. It's not just the name that sets her aside, but her talent.
But her family also expanded this past decade. In August 2019, she welcomed her third child with husband Henry Hager, whom she married on May 10, 2008. The two had only gotten engaged in August of the prior year, so they didn't waste any time in making it official. They reportedly had 200 guests at the big event.
It's hard to imagine how many VIPs would be at your wedding if your father was a US president. And former President George W. Bush did have some influence on the big day. According to InStyle, which featured the wedding, Jenna used Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell to perform the ceremony. Before, he was best known as being President Bush's religious adviser.
The couple's first daughter, Margaret Laura “Mila” Hager, was born in 2013. The middle name of Laura is, of course, a nod to Laura Bush. Second daughter Poppy Louise Hager also has a family name. According to Heavy, Poppy was actually President George H. W. Bush's nickname as a child.
Jenna's dad was also a key reason as to how she ended up meeting her husband Henry. Apparently, they met during the 2004 presidential campaign. Between 2001 and 2003, he was reportedly the staff assistant to the senior adviser at the White House to her dad. So Henry already had an in with the president.
These days, Henry holds the role of managing director at Waterous Energy Fund. The family reportedly lives in New York, which is perfect for Jenna's booming career. Her third child, a boy named Hal, was likely one of Jenna's favorite new people of 2019. The first baby boy for Jenna and her immediate family is officially named Henry after his dad, but he goes by the cute nickname to help set them apart.
In November of last year, Jenna got real about the difficulties of balancing work and kids. Sure, the Bush family has more help than the standard mother, but it's never easy — and moms can often feel pressured, thinking they're just not maintaining the balance right. With Jenna's busy schedule and a brand-new baby, it's likely been on her mind a lot.
"Whenever anybody walks in, we go, ‘Welcome to the nut house.’ Who says that? I do," Jenna said to People. Aside from her own busy schedule, her husband also travels a lot for work. Being alone with three kids can be very rewarding, but also very hectic — especially if something goes wrong or someone gets sick.
"If I’m alone with all three kids, which I have been because my husband travels for work, it’s tricky," Jenna admitted. "I’ll put the baby to bed first and then I’ll read with [the girls]." Routine is so important for making things work, but since Hal is a new arrival, it's possible that Jenna is still trying to figure out how to manage the overall schedule.
Being home and spending time with her kids also means she's more likely to witness milestones. For example, daughter Mila just learned how to read. "You hear these clichés in parenting and they’re all true. ‘Time goes so fast.’ ‘The days are long, but the years are short.’ All of that is a cliché because it’s real, but nobody tells you about these little moments in parenting that will mean the most to you," she said.
That said, there are still plenty of moments she doesn't get to witness. And she wants moms to know that this stuff, while heartbreaking, can happen to anyone. "I try to focus on what I can do and what I do bring because I think if we beat ourselves up for everything we miss, then we're not as happy of a parent as we can be," she added.
That's one of the real reasons that her gorgeous New Year's Eve photos are so beautiful. Not only is the sunset a symbol of the day closing (and in this case, decade), but she's there with her family. It's a moment they all got to witness together, and it's a wonderful photo that the family of five will be able to cherish together.
While Jenna Bush Hager may not have quite as productive a decade ahead (since her current achievements are incredibly hard to beat), hopefully she'll be able to share more fun and fond memories with her husband and children. Her realistic portrayal of parenting is both refreshing and mature. She's come such a long way since the early 2000s, and she'd probably be the first to admit that.
