- NEW: Former President George H.W. Bush has "another terrific day," his spokesman says
- Bush was hospitalized Tuesday for shortness of breath
- He is the father of 43rd president, George W. Bush
(CNN) -- Former President George H.W. Bush, who was taken to a Houston hospital after experiencing shortness of breath, will remain in the hospital at least until Friday, his spokesman said.
"President Bush had another terrific day and is in great spirits," Jim McGrath said in a Christmas Day statement. "He was visited by (former first lady Barbara) Bush as well as his son Neil and daughter-in-law Maria Bush, and has received well-wishes from family, friends and fellow citizens."
McGrath said that Bush "asked that his sincere wishes for a very Merry Christmas be extended to one and all."
In a statement Wednesday, a day after the hospitalization, McGrath said Bush's prognosis "remains very positive" and he was remaining at the medical facility "as a precaution."
Aides stressed this hospitalization is different from what the former president faced two years ago when he had to spend two months, including Christmas, hospitalized after suffering bronchitis and a persistent cough.
Former President George H.W. Bush attends a college basketball game between North Carolina State and Duke in Durham, North Carolina, on January 18. Bush celebrated his 90th birthday on Thursday, June 12. Click through the images to see Bush's life in pictures. 
Bush is pictured with his sister, Mercy, in 1929. He was born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts. 
After serving as a U.S. Navy pilot in World War II, Bush attended Yale University and played baseball from 1945-48. 
Before he entered politics in 1964, Bush made a fortune drilling oil in Texas. He created the Zapata Offshore Co., which introduced a new era in the drilling industry. 
Bush is pictured with his wife, Barbara, during his first campaign for Congress. He represented Texas' 7th District from 1966-70, and he was appointed to the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. 
Bush sits with members of his family in 1971. That year, President Richard Nixon appointed Bush ambassador to the United Nations. 
Under President Gerald Ford, Bush served as the chief liaison to China in 1975. Here, Bush greets well-wishers in Beijing. 
Bush was Ronald Reagan's vice president from 1981 to 1989. 
Bush and Indiana Sen. Dan Quayle accepted the Republican Party's nominations for president and vice president in August 1988. During his speech, Bush first uttered the memorable line, "Read my lips: No new taxes." 
President-elect Bush meets with civil rights leader Jesse Jackson at the White House in November 1988. He once called Jackson a "loose cannon." 
Bush was sworn into office as the 41st President of the United States on January 20, 1989. First lady Barbara Bush holds the Bible for her husband while Chief Justice William Rehnquist administers the oath of office. 
Bush hosted Nelson Mandela, South Africa's anti-apartheid leader and future President, at the White House in June 1990. 
Bush holds a White House news conference in August 1990 during the run-up to war with Iraq. 
Bush visits American troops in Saudi Arabia on Thanksgiving Day in 1990. 
Bush and Quayle join hands at the August 1992 Republican convention in Houston. They are joined by their wives, Marilyn Quayle and first lady Barbara Bush. 
Bush checks his watch during the 1992 presidential debate with Ross Perot, right, and Bill Clinton. The memorable moment was interpreted as the President being out of touch. 
In November 1997, Bush speaks at the dedication of his presidential library at Texas A&M University. 
Bush watches election returns with his son, George W. Bush, in Austin, Texas, on November 7, 2000. George W. Bush went on to win the presidential election over Democrat Al Gore, but only after a lengthy recount. 
Celebrating his 80th birthday in 2004, Bush performed two jumps with the Army Golden Knights over the Bush Presidential Library. 
President George W. Bush appointed his father and former President Bill Clinton to lead fundraising efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005. 
At the christening ceremony of the USS George H.W. Bush in 2009, the 41st President poses for a picture with two of his sons: former President George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. 
President Barack Obama presents Bush with the 2010 Medal of Freedom at the White House in February 2011. 
Bush and Clinton attend the Points of Light Institute Tribute in 2011. 
Bush wears socks featuring the American flag at the dedication ceremony for his son's presidential library in Dallas, Texas, in April 2013. 
Bush floats to the ground Thursday, June 12, during a tandem parachute jump near his home in Kennebunkport, Maine. Bush was strapped to Mike Elliott, a retired member of the Army's Golden Knights parachute team, as he made the jump to celebrate his 90th birthday. George H.W. Bush "The Bush family certainly appreciates all your prayers, love and concern. This is not two years ago. It's a hiccup. He should come home in a few days," Jean Becker, Bush's chief of staff, said in a statement in reaction to the outpouring of concern for him.
Bush, 90, a Republican, served as the nation's 41st president and is the father of the 43rd president, George W. Bush.
While suffering from a form of Parkinson's disease that confines him to a wheelchair or a scooter, the elder Bush has been active recently.
He jumped out of a helicopter to celebrate his 90th birthday in June and participated in the coin toss at a Houston Texans professional football game last month. There he showed up on the "Kiss Cam," which captured him and Barbara smooching. He also appeared last month with his son George at an event to unveil his new book, "41: A Portrait of My Father."
41 things about Bush 41
CNN's Steve Brusk and John King contributed to this report.
