Getty Jenna Bush Hager with one of her children, Mila Bush
Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter and granddaughter of U.S. presidents, is the mother of two children with her husband Henry Hager.
Those children are the only grandchildren of former President George W. Bush and his wife, Laura Bush. Their other daughter, Barbara Bush, does not yet have children. George W. Bush will be among those giving eulogies at the funeral of former president George H.W. Bush.
Here’s what you need to know about the children of Jenna Bush Hager:
1. Jenna’s First Child, a Girl, Is Named Mila
The first child of Jenna Bush Hager and Henry Hager is named Mila Hager. Her full given name is Margaret Laura. At 5 as of December 2018, Mila was the oldest child. (Her sister is 3.)
Jenna brought the two girls on the set of the Today Show when she filled in. “Mama has a cat!” Poppy exclaimed repeatedly.
“This has gone awry! I’m sweating. I’m sweating,” Hager admitted, according to US Magazine. “At least they chose to say ‘mommy has a cat.’ What if they said something else?”
2. Jenna’s Second Daughter Is Named “Poppy” in Honor of Her Grandfather
When Jenna Bush Hager gave birth to a second daughter, she chose the name “Poppy” in honor of her grandfather, George H.W. Bush.
The child was born August 13, 2005. Her full name is Poppy Louise Hager, and she weighed 7 lbs. 9 oz., according to The Today Show.
“We are proud to name her after a man we so adore,” Henry told Today.
The book George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography by Webster G. Tarpley & Anton Chaitkin has a chapter titled “Poppy and Mommy.” It reveals that Dorothy Walker Bush, the mother of George H.W. Bush, started calling her son “Poppy.” Bush has been called the nickname since he was a young boy.
“George was named after his grandfather, George Herbert Walker. Since George’s mother called Grandfather Walker ‘Pop,’ she began calling her son, his namesake, ‘little Pop,’ or ‘Poppy’ Hence, Poppy Bush is the name the President’s family friends have called him since his youth,” the book says.
Bush was a toddler when his mother gave him the name, The New York Times reports.
3. Jenna Bush Wrote Her Daughters a Letter on Mother’s Day
George H.W. Bush was well-known for gifting moving and loving letters to family members. Jenna is keeping that tradition alive.
She penned a letter to her daughters for Mother’s Day. It reads in part, “My sweet daughters, this is a letter about motherhood, a word that you don’t yet truly understand. Sure, you say the word ‘Mama’ countless times a day—it is a word I will never tire of hearing. But motherhood—and the unconditional love and longing (and the anxiety and guilt) that come along with it—is something you won’t know about for many years.”
You can read the full letter here.
4. Jenna Says It Was a ‘Gift’ That Her Daughters Met Her Grandfather
GettyJenna Bush Hager and her husband, Henry Hager, are pictured above attending an arrival service for former U.S. President George H.W. Bush on December 3, 2018.
George H.W. Bush was the nation’s oldest president. He lived to the age of 94. As a result, he was able to meet his grandchildren. That, says Jenna, was a gift.
“What a gift that my girls got to know our Gampy,” Jenna wrote on Instagram. “What an honor that we could name our Poppy after such a principled, humble, kind man who we all loved fiercely and who loved us back.”
She added, “I read this letter—he wrote us—with new eyes,” she said. “Remember the old song? ‘I’ll be there, ready when you are?’ Well, I’ll be there, ready when you are. And if you need me, I’m here. Devotedly, Dad.”
5. Mila & Poppy Were Flower Girls at Barbara Bush’s Wedding
Jenna and Barbara Bush are close. That’s the way it should be. After all, they are twins. When Barbara Bush was recently married, Poppy and Mila served as her flower girls.
Barbara married Craig Coyne, an actor. “Poppy did double duty at the ceremony, also serving as the ring bearer,” People Magazine reported. Jenna Bush was the maid of honor.