Jillian Murray and Dean Geyer are going to be parents
NEED TO KNOW
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The Code Black actress and the Glee alum are expecting their first baby together, sharing the exciting news exclusively with PEOPLE
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The expectant mom says her pregnancy was an "unexpected surprise," adding she and Geyer feel "amazing" about their baby on the way
Jillian Murray and Dean Geyerare going to be parents!
TheCode Blackactress, 41, and theGleealum, 40, are expecting their first baby together, sharing the news exclusively with PEOPLE. The soon-to-be mom tells PEOPLE she found out she was pregnant on the set of her Great American Christmas movie that she was filming in New York.
"For a few days, I had this really intense congestion that came completely out of the blue. I initially thought I was having some kind of allergic reaction to something in the hotel," she tells PEOPLE. "Out of curiosity, I ChatGPT’d it and learned that the surge in pregnancy hormones can cause swelling in the nasal passages."
"That next morning, I took a test before my call time and I was completely stunned," she adds. "Keeping that news to myself while continuing to film was incredibly difficult. It felt surreal walking onto set, knowing something so life-changing, and not being able to share it yet."
Although she was away from her husband, Murray, who recently signed an exclusive multi-picture deal with Great American Media, found a special way to share the exciting news with him.
"I knew I couldn’t keep it to myself for long, especially being so far from home and still having half the movie left to film, so I told him that an 'opportunity' had come in for him through my team. I made sure not to say 'movie offer,' but I definitely implied it," she explains. "I had him FaceTime me right before I was mic’d up for my first scene and sent him an email with all the 'details.'"
"He started reading it out loud, completely focused, asking questions like, 'Who’s the director?' and 'Where is it filming?' " she continues. "And then it clicked. He immediately started crying the sweetest, happiest tears and jumping up and down. It was such a special moment."
So far, Murray says she's been "really fortunate" during her pregnancy since she's been feeling "really good" with "no extreme cravings." Her biggest challenge thus far has been getting a good night's rest.
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"I’m so used to sleeping on my back, and now I have to stay on my side, which has been an adjustment," she says. "And of course, waking up every couple of hours doesn’t help with the bladder sensitivity, so it’s been a while since I’ve had a full night’s sleep."
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Back in February, Murray and Geyer found out the sex of their baby on the way with an intimate reveal at a nature reserve surrounded by different animals, such as birds, squirrels and alligators. She also shares that they've narrowed down their list of potential names and are homing in on the one that feels "most natural."
"We each have our own lists, and we’ve been testing them out by yelling across the house to see which ones feel the most natural," she says. "We’ve narrowed it down to about four names that we keep coming back to. We need to make sure the name sounds good in both my American accent and my husband’s South African accent."
Murray, who has a recurring role onWhen Hope Calls: BrookfieldonGreat American Family, says she and Geyer feel "amazing," but are still in a bit of shock that they are becoming parents. She shares it was an "unexpected surprise" to find out the happy news.
"We had waited a long time to start a family because I honestly didn’t feel ready before, and since we always planned on only having one, I waited until a much later time in life. I also knew that at this stage it might not happen easily or at all, so we didn’t put pressure on it," she says. "We really just felt that it was in God’s hands that whatever was meant to be would be and no pressure either way. I think that mindset has made this experience feel even more special."
"I feel so blessed to work with a network like Great American Family during this next chapter in my life because they prioritize family above all else," Murray adds. "I get to make incredible movies that I’m proud to share with my little one in the future."
Read the original article onPeople
