Jenna Bush Hager got the best Mother’s Day gift of all: Hal’s first sentence!
The TODAY co-host captured Hal's first sentence on camera and what he said made the moment that much more special for the occasion. In the video shared to Instagram, Jenna recorded Hal, 21 months, while he sat in a stroller, rocking a pair of white sunglasses and a navy blue puffer vest.
“I love Mama!” Hal said at the beginning of the clip, to which Jenna immediately replied, “I love you!”
Like any other mom would, Jenna tried to prompt her son to repeat himself, asking him multiple times, “What did you say?”
He didn't say it again (at least on camera), but proof of his first sentence has been documented!
Ahead of Mother’s Day, Jenna’s two daughters, 8-year-old Mila and 5-year-old Poppy, also made sure to celebrate the special day for their mom. The two girls made an appearance on Friday’s episode of TODAY along with Hoda’s two daughters, 4-year-old Haley and 2-year-old Hope, to share some adorable video messages for their moms.
Mila slung her arm around her sister’s shoulder as they hugged it out in the short clip. The two went back and forth, both telling their mom, “Happy Mother’s Day!” multiple times.
Jenna noticed her son was missing in action during the clip, but he’s more than made up for it with his first-ever sentence.
Earlier on Sunday, Jenna shared a throwback photo on Instagram of her mother, former first lady Laura Bush, reading to her and her twin sister, Barbara Bush.
“Happy mama’s day to mine and to all those who are or act as mamas,” she wrote in the caption. “My mama taught me love naps cuddled with a cat and a great book. She taught me to appreciate the little and BIG things in nature (rafting and hiking the Grand Canyon for her 60th was one of my favorite trips!) Her calm and grace and Bob Marley records were the soundtrack of our house. Love you mama, @laurawbush!”
Last May, Jenna revealed during the at-home shows that Hal had crossed quite a few big milestones at his age, including saying his first word.
“Two things have happened with Hal’s development,” Jenna told her fourth hour co-host Hoda Kotb. “He can speak, as Mila says, English, and he also can crawl. He learned to crawl!”
While his first sentence was all about mom, let’s just say that his first word was an early Father’s Day gift for Jenna’s husband, Henry Hager.
“Of course, his first word was…‘Dada,’” Jenna said, with Hoda saying it along with her, predicting the reveal herself.
At the time, “Dada” wasn’t the only word in his vocabulary. In fact, he had a perfect greeting nailed down too!
“His other favorite word — it’s just so cute — is ‘Hiiiiiiiii!’” Jenna said. “He says it just like that.”
Speaking of Henry, Jenna also took to Instagram to celebrate his birthday, which happened to coincide with Mother's Day this year!
"Happy to share Mother’s Day with this dude who makes being a mama so fun and joy-filled," Jenna wrote. "Happy birthday Hank! You’ll never see this but we loved celebrating you with a family dinner, homemade sheet cake and a toddler burning man."