Alaina, 30, announced earlier this year that she and husband Cam Arnold were expecting their first child. She teased a “surprise” in the music video she premiered for “Those Kind Of Women,” and ended the full circle video with a dedication to “my Momma [who appears in the video] and our sweet Baby Arnold coming summer 2025.” Alaina later said she “was not planning on getting pregnant” when she first recorded the song, and the pregnancy was a “nice little surprise.” She confirmed in an interview with PEOPLE when she announced the pregnancy that she and Arnold selected a name for their baby in honor of a family member.

Shortly after announcing her pregnancy, Alaina shared a gender reveal to confirm Baby No. 1 would be a girl. She also appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, where Kelly Clarkson gave the Georgia-born country artist advice on touring while pregnant — the “Road Less Traveled” star toured with Rascal Flatts until she was 34 weeks pregnant — and Alaina got emotional while talking about her close relationship with her mother. She also paid tribute to her late father, J.J. Suddeth.

“It has been such a hard year losing my dad in July. And we weren’t even trying to get pregnant. I truly believe my dad got up there to heaven and said ‘we gotta somehow get a baby involved,’” Alaina previously said. “The baby is the light of my life, and such a light in the midst of sadness, and what felt like a lot of darkness. So, I’m very much looking forward to Baby Arnold getting here, and I can’t wait to share more.”

Alaina and Arnold got married in a stunning wedding on February 4, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. The former American Idol contestant said when she and her husband celebrated their first anniversary: “We went through a lot in our first year of marriage. We shared a lot of happiness and new beginnings. We also shared loss and heartache. Cameron has been my constant and steady through it all. It has not been the easiest year of our relationship, but it has been the year that reassured me I definitely picked the right husband. He held my hand my hand through losing dad. He has held my hand through this pregnancy. I can’t wait to hold his hand forever. I know no matter what comes my way I have a partner that will be right by my side through it all. I’m so proud to be Mrs. Arnold. I love you, Cameron Scott 2.4.24 💍”

Alaina is the latest country artist to welcome a baby in 2025. Others include Dan + Shay’s Shay Mooney, rising country star Sarahbeth Taite, Loretta Lynn’s granddaughter Emmy Russell, and more. See the list of pregnancy announcements here.

From the Marion Public Library Podcast Studio