“Summer House: Martha's Vineyard” Star Jasmine Ellis Cooper Is Pregnant: 'Mom Era Is Loading' (Exclusive)

Jasmine and Silas tied the knot in July 2022

Jasmine Ellis Cooper is excited to step into her "mom era!"

The  Summer House: Martha's Vineyard star, 31, is expecting her first baby with husband Silas Cooper, she reveals to PEOPLE exclusively.

"We have been trying for a little while. It's not like we were preventing, to be honest," she laughs. "One day, I was just feeling a little weird and, you know how you have a gut feeling? I took a test and it came out positive."

The mom-to-be tells PEOPLE, "Everything in my mind that I had envisioned on how I was going to tell him — because we've both wanted to be parents and build a family — completely just went out the window. I literally just ran into the other room, I jumped on him and said, 'We're pregnant! We did it!'"

Admitting Silas was caught off guard by the revelation, she continues, "He got really emotional and shed a tear or two. It was really exciting and very simple. I wish I would have documented it, but the way he reacted is cemented in my brain."

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Related: Who's Due Next? Celebs Who Are Expecting

Also exciting for the pair has been sharing their baby news with family and friends.

"Initially, just my family knew. And then we found out that we were having a boy, which is really exciting," Jasmine revealed. "Going into this season filming Summer House, I knew that I was going to let them know, but I really wanted to cross over that barrier from first trimester to second trimester, so as soon as I was in the clear and that second trimester hit, I let my castmates know."

"The way it plays out this season is actually really funny. Some people maybe suspected, but for the most part, I don't think they had any idea. It's going to be fun for the viewers to watch. I know that it's going to be really special," she continues.

With a lot of joy comes navigating the difficulties of Silas' current deployment in Poland.

"Luckily, we're able to communicate via WhatsApp every now and again when he has a chance. We take every moment we can, especially with the time difference. It's hard, but I'm grateful to have a lot of phenomenal women around me."

Some of those women include castmates Jordan Emanuel and Bria Fleming, as well as her mom and Silas' family, who have supported her through the "really smooth pregnancy."

"His family is so supportive. My family is so excited," she raves. "I have a lot keeping me busy these days, which is great."

Silas and Jasmine are connecting when it comes to plans for their little guy, with the mom-to-be admitting, "We have had names picked out for a while for all of our children."

"It's exciting. I'm excited to join the boy mom gang," she shares. "Outside of the cravings (savory, spicy foods) and Pilates getting a little harder to do, it's been really beautiful. I think my son is really doing me well."

After a whirlwind first year of marriage, Jasmine is looking forward to continuing the "good stride" her little family has enjoyed.

"Just after celebrating one year of marriage, we found out not too long after he was being deployed. And then immediately after finding that out, we found out that we're expecting," she notes.

"The first year was not the easiest, it was very complex and we were pulled in so many different directions. So to be at this point now feels like a blessing, like a reward for just staying committed to our family," she shares. "It's exciting and I know that it's hard for him, being so far from me. He's always worried if I'm okay, if I'm eating enough, if I have everything I need, and I have to reassure him that we're good. I have an amazing doula, an amazing hospital that I'm going to give birth at, and I'm holding it down over here while he's holding it down for the country over there."

For the two, who have long dreamed of being parents, Jasmine says she and Silas are "looking forward to learning each other in this new way."

"I think Silas is going to be a phenomenal role model and father, and just having fun moments at home. Him being able to come home to the family we're building is what I look forward to the most, the little moments like the movie nights, the forts, the trips, the weird things that kids do. I'm looking forward to that and all the holidays for sure."

For the holidays this year, Jasmine is looking forward to a "super special" time hosting her family for the first time.

"I begged and pleaded with them to come to my home," she laughs. "I think they really just want to be around me and support me during this time. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. It's two weeks before my birthday and it's going to be really special to have everyone — my grandmother and my mother, my sister, my nephew and Silas's mom and dad — come to our place. We love to laugh, we love to have a good time, and we love matching pajamas. So it's going to be special to document this moment before the baby's actually here."

Once baby arrives, Jasmine also looks forward to channeling her creative talents as a screenwriter.

"It's really special to approach motherhood, knowing all the phenomenal stories centered around youth and children that are out there. I'm looking forward to getting my career out there, and my biggest hope is to continue to collaborate with people I want to work with, telling the stories I want to tell outside of Summer House: Martha's Vineyard, so I'm looking forward to balancing that with motherhood."

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