Jenna Bush Hager was surprised with a cowboy-themed baby shower that was attended by three of her closest friends on the Today show Friday.
The 37-year-old Texan’s pals Molly, Laird, and Betsy all dressed in their best western wear to shower the host in Studio 1A, which was filled with country-western decor, Tex-Mex treats, and southern-inspired desserts.
Jenna, who is just a few weeks away from the arrival of her third child, was stunned when she walked on stage to see her pals on the show and was almost rendered speechless.
Surprise! Jenna Bush Hager, 37, was thrown a baby shower attended by her friends Betsy, Laird, and Molly on the Today show on Friday
Say what? The Today host, who is due to give birth in a few weeks, was almost rendered speechless when she walked on stage and saw her friends
‘Wait, what? That’s so . . . I did see . . . Y’all are so cute for being here!’ she gushed.
The soon-to-be mother of three was dressed in a black and gold patterned frock that was belted over her growing baby bump.
Her friends, meanwhile, were all wearing denim to keep with the theme of the surprise shower, which was hosted by Jenna’s co-star Sheinelle Jones.
Today teamed up with Blueprint, NBCUniversal’s subscription-based service for crafting lessons and projects, to throw the shower for the mom to be.
Grateful: Jenna ran over to give them a hug and compliment them on their western outfits that complemented the cowboy-them of the shower
Cake designer Joshua John Russell and party planner Kristen Johnson, co-hosts of Bluprint’s ‘Bring the Party’ series, were in the studio during the segment, but Jenna blew right past them to go hug her friends.
‘Nice to meet you, but I have to go,’ she said.
The expectant mom couldn’t stop gushing about how ‘cute’ her friends were.
‘Y’all look western,’ she told them. ‘I want to cry. I’m a little overwhelmed.’
The reunion then morphed into a segment about party planning, with Joshua and Kristen explaining how they came up with the theme for the on-air shower.
What a treat: The expectant mom and her pals were told to sit down at a picnic table that was set up in Studio 1A
Yum! They were served ‘baby’ tacos and queso, a nod to her home state of Texas
Sweet treats: For dessert, there were ‘hay bales’ made out of Rice Krispies treats and red licorice as well as mud pies
‘You cannot separate you from Texas, I’m sorry,’ Kristen told the guest of honor. ‘And with a little boy coming, what’s sweeter than a cowboy?’
Joshua served the ladies ‘baby’ tacos and queso, two of Jenna’s favorite things. For dessert, there were ‘hay bales’ made out of Rice Krispies treats and red licorice as well as mud pies.
The drinks were kept cool in a wheelbarrow filled with ice, and the utensils were wrapped in bandannas.
When Jenna was told to take a look at her party invite, she admitted she was still feeling overwhelmed.
‘I mean, is this a real shower?’ she asked, prompting everyone on stage to shout back, ‘Yes!’
Masterminds: Cake designer Joshua John Russell and party planner Kristen Johnson, co-hosts of Bluprint’s ‘Bring the Party’ series, helped throw the on-air bash
Another surprise: At the end of the segment, Jenna was gifted a cowboy hat that everyone had signed
‘What is happening here?’ she asked. ‘I’m sweating.’
One of the tables was decorated with a cowboy boot that served as a vase, and Jenna said she has actually made similar center arrangements before.
‘To be honest, Mila did have a cowgirl first birthday party, and we put some boots with flowers in it,’ she explained.
At the end of the segment, she was gifted a cowboy hat that everyone had signed and a onesie for her baby boy that says ‘New in Town.’
As for her daughters, three-year-old Poppy was given a T-shirt that says ‘Big Sister,’ while they made a matching one for six-year-old Mila that says ‘Biggest Sister.’
Great pals: In June, two of Jenna’s close friends threw her a surprise shower that was attended by many of her colleagues
Work family: Hoda Kotb, Siri Daly, Savannah Guthrie, Megan Stackhouse, and Libby Leist (L to R) were all their to shower Jenna with love
Hi mom! Jenna’s daughters Mila, six, and Poppy, three, also showed up at the shower
‘Y’all thank you for surprising me,’ she gushed before turning to her friends. ‘I didn’t know you guys were going to be here. I’m shocked. I cried.’
Jenna was undoubtedly surprised by her on-air shower, but it wasn’t her first.
In June, two of her close friends threw her a surprise shower that was attended by many of her colleagues, including Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb, Carson Daly’s wife Siri, Today show executive producer Libby Leist, and Today’s vice president of public relations Megan Stackhouse.
The guest of honor’s daughters stopped by, and she even got a visit from her husband, Henry Hager, who showed up a little too late.
‘He’s like, “Where is everyone?” I’m like, “Well, the party was over 15 minutes ago,”‘ she recalled on the Today show last month.