Ree Drummond Says Finding Out She’s Going to Be a Grandma Felt ‘Totally Different Than I Thought It Would’ (Exclusive)

Ree Drummond has known that her daughter Alex is pregnant since Mother's Day — but she's still getting used to the idea of becoming a grandma.

The Pioneer Woman star announced that her eldest daughter Alex, 27, and her husband Mauricio Scott are expecting their first child — Ree’s first grandchild. While speaking with PEOPLE about her new Walmart line of small appliances, the Food Network star opened up about her raw reaction to the big reveal.

“Gosh, it feels totally different than I thought it would feel,” she admits. “Since we just kind of became empty-nesters, Ladd and I feel like we just finished raising our kids — not even finished! A couple of them are in college, so we're still raising our kids.”

Alex and Scott celebrated three years of marriage on May 1. Even still, Ree said she wasn’t expecting to assume the granny role so soon.

“We weren't necessarily in a big rush to enter the grandparent stage,” Ree laughs to PEOPLE. “I thought when I heard the news eventually, whenever that would be, that I would feel more, ‘Oh no, here it comes.’ But instead, what I think about most is — this is my honest answer — just how happy I am for my daughter and her husband.”

This new phase of life for their family has also brought on lots of nostalgia for Ree.

“Thinking back on the days when my kids were babies and those years, I mean, I can hardly look at old pictures because it was just such a precious, fun time,” Ree says. “I'm just so happy that she is going to enter into that period of her life. There's just nothing better in the world.”

The cookbook author already has a guess in mind for the sex of Alex's baby.

“I feel like it's a boy, but then again, I have a 50-50 chance of being right,” she quips. “It's really just a guess.”

No matter what, Ree says the growing family will be over the moon.

“I know that they're going to love either one. Alex and her sister Paige were first in the family, so they kind of see the benefits of having older girls. And so I think Alex would like to have a girl, and Mauricio is so happy-natured, he'll love whatever they have,” she says.

Ree and Ladd are also parents to Paige, 24, Bryce, 21, Jamar, 21 and Todd, 20. Alex works with her mom on the Pioneer Woman blog and helps coordinate different events and photoshoots, including those with Ree’s long-standing Walmart Pioneer Woman collection.

Her latest Walmart collaboration is an appliance drop in a sleek and modern new look. With a “linen speckle” design and wood tone handles, the new 2-slice toaster, 6-quart slow cooker and 6-quart pressure cooker are meant to fit the aesthetic of any kitchen. The “rustic, old-fashioned feel” brings in a new era for the Pioneer Woman collection.

“Anyone who knows my line knows that I'm a big fan of flowers and that has been sort of a signature aesthetic of my line,” Ree tells PEOPLE. “[I'm] definitely not turning my back on flowers, but we're sort of evolving and bringing a new direction — a little more subdued direction for 2025.”

The collection also includes more bakeware and cookware like iron skillets and Dutch ovens, but the new small appliances are a fresh option for chefs of all generations, Ree says, especially the toaster.

“Everyone needs a toaster, whether you're a college freshman or a 55-year-old mother of five like I am,” she says. “From day one, the Pioneer Woman look was really meant to be layered into what you already have. So I love seeing how people work in the pieces in their own kitchens.”