Jenna Bush Hager's Return To 'Today' Started With A 4:45 AM Wake-Up Call From Hoda

From Women's Health

• Jenna Bush Hager returned to Today from maternity leave on Monday morning.

• Jenna gave birth to her third child, Henry Harold Hager, in August.

• She promised to return to her co-hosting position with Hoda Kotb by December, and she's back early.

When Jenna Bush Hager left Today to go on maternity leave, she promised that she’d be back by December. Well, she’s back, and earlier than expected.

“Jenna Bush Hager is back!” Hoda Kotb said on Monday's episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna in front of a live audience, as Jenna walked out and people cheered.

The mom of three joked about how she and her co-host Hoda, who recently adopted a daughter, haven’t actually co-hosted the show all that much together. “We haven’t been on the show together but five days!” Jenna joked, as she hugged Hoda. “It feels like it’s time!”

"I called Jenna at 4:45 this morning, just to say, ‘It’s time! Wake up!’" said Hoda.“She was my alarm," Jenna added. "And I have to say, what a positive way to wake up — being surrounded [by] y’all!"

Jenna also shared the sweetest Instagram post about her return. In it, you can see Jenna with her arms around Hoda on the show. "@Hodakotb, I’m coming home!" she wrote in the caption.

Jenna also shared in another Instagram post what coming back to work is like for her. “Good morning! Feeling full of gratitude for so much today: our beautiful country that is free thanks to all of those who serve, my children who woke up at 5am, finding me in the shower saying ‘Mama, we need to give you a hug on your first day at work’ (not sure how their dad felt about the early wakeup!),” she wrote. “And feeling so thankful that I love what I do—this place and the people who I adore—make leaving a darling little man and his sisters so much easier.”

Jenna went on maternity leave back in the summer and welcomed her son (and third child) Henry Harold Hager on August 2. "I am just laying here with this little precious being," she said during a call-in to Today after having baby Henry. "He is the sweetest, easiest baby, and I think it’s just God knowing if he gave me more than I could handle I couldn’t handle it, you know what I mean?"

Since then, plenty of people have filled in for Jenna, including Willie Geist, Andy Cohen, and Carson Daly.

Welcome back, Jenna!

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