Intense!

Yahooo! This is my very first blog after our very first show. How exciting! This first one is going to be long. I have to say that this whole experience has been very surreal to me. I have learned so far that I really dislike the way I look and sound on TV. Thank GOD I have a good sense of humor and can laugh while I pick myself apart. As I watch my opener shots with my family, I want to share with you all that I was 4 1/2 months pregnant there and tried to conceal it under that black sleeveless dress while feeling really chubby. I am 8 + months pregnant now. We are so excited!

When I saw the previews for our show I thought, "Wow! How intense! I have GOT to watch this!" I forgot for a moment that I was actually part of it and KNOW how it ends. Well...sort of. You never know what they will do in editing, which can be very scary.

Teresa cracks me up. I agree with Caroline when she said that Teresa doesn't even realize how hysterical she really is. I'm sure she will have all of you laughing as well. I love Teresa because she always tells it like it is. She'll say whatever she is thinking. She doesn't hold back. You'll always know her true opinions and where you stand with her. I love it. I love her. I love how much love she has and how proud she is of her family. Her husband is the "delicious and juicy ASS guy that's got it going on." My husband and I call him "Juicy Joe" now. I loved the Boss and secretary role-play. It looks like Juicy Joe did too. Too funny. Her three beautiful darling little divas are always matching and full of accessories, and she just "LOVES LOVES LOVES" them! How the hell does she keep that figure after three kids? God Bless. Her house is enormous, "bea-U-ti-ful," and built with the best of the best materials. I love how she says she schieves other people's houses and could never live in another person's home, because that is just gross. LOL! Teresa is our shopaholic. Whenever I call her she is either on her way to the mall, at the mall, or on her way home from the mall (or a boutique). At least she is helping out our economy by still power shopping and paying with cash. She is your typical, old school Italian Jersey girl. Is it just me or does anyone else think that if you put a top hat on Teresa's head in her high school picture she would resemble Slash, the guitarist from Guns N' Roses? Maybe just a little? Just saying...

Dina, my sister-in-law, is a very beautiful girl, with good sense of humor and, as you can see, no tolerance for nonsense. She stays busy with her Ladybug foundation, which she created to raise money for terminally ill children. She also stays busy putting her great talent for party planning and interior design to use and raising a teenage daughter, while her husband works many hours at The Brownstone catering facility that he and Caroline's husband run. I can relate to Dina trying to correct the spoiling effects of raising her daughter before it gets too out of control. It is very challenging to raise a teenage girl, especially in an affluent town like Franklin Lakes, where kids do get handed things pretty easily. She wants to keep her daughter grounded and self-sufficient, and their nothing wrong with that. I love their mother/daughter and yet sister-like relationship. That is what I have with my daughter as well. The tennis scene was hilarious. We learned that Dina plays tennis to get great legs, which she already has, likes to plays with "fancy balls," sweats her "balls off" while playing, and that her bubbies are too big for tennis. Maybe if she took Lexi's advice and wore two bras next time it MAY help out her game! It's worth a shot. Dina also says that if you think she's a bitch, then bring it on. I think Danielle may be just the girl to do that. There is obviously some tension there. I think they just started out on the wrong foot. Can they resolve their differences? Guess you will just have to wait and see.

Caroline is our matriarch of the group. She's a straight shooter. She will tell you like it is and has no tolerance for bullshit. She is the old school throwback. I admire how after the all the years she has been with her husband she still gets that little sparkle in her eyes when she sees him or talks about him. That is love. She loves her kids and is so proud of them and will support them in ANYTHING that they decide to do in life. That includes going to college, NOT going to college or opening a strip club. What the heck...why fight it? If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Kids are eventually going to do what they want to do regardless. You can only guide them so far. Love and support are so important. Caroline knows this. She wants to help them flee the nest but wants them to remain there at the same time. She's conflicted. She is entering the early stages of the empty nest syndrome. Luckily Caroline is a very intelligent businesswoman as well and keeps herself busy running her two successful businesses. You'll learn more about those later. But with her, family will ALWAYS come first. Be ready to laugh your asses off watching my nieces and nephews. Not only are they adorable, they are hysterical. I love them! They need their own show.

Danielle, Danielle, Danielle, Danielle. What am I going to do with you? God bless you for just putting it all out there. Keep it real girl! She is so entertaining. She's a beautiful, confident woman and that may be intimidating to some. She LOVES to be the center of attention. She comes on strong, not everybody responds to that well. By the way, I saw the naked pictures of Danielle on her phone by accident while looking through some of her other pictures on her phone. I don't think she meant for me to see those. I think Danielle is a little misunderstood. She acts really guarded and tough, but it's just that she has had a very hard life that I'm sure you will learn about during the duration of our series. The one thing I will say about her is that she is a very hands-on mother. You have to respect that. She spends a heck of a lot of time with her kids and they are excellent students and athletes because of HER. She takes care of them very well. It is not easy being a single mom and trying to juggle motherhood and maintain a social life so you can find your mate. She may be extremely open with her children, but that is her way of teaching them how to prepare for the real world. She doesn't like to candy coat anything. By letting her kids see her hardships, she teaches them how she can pull herself through anything and move on. It's a good lesson. She also is a very good friend once given a chance. She'll bring you soup when your sick, run errands for you, fill you with uplifting compliments and make you laugh. She is the one who introduced me to her OB/GYN Doctor of 16 years, Dr. Steven Domnitz of Wayne, NJ, who helped me to maintain my pregnancy and is now delivering my baby that my husband and I struggled for so long to have. Thank you Danielle! The part of the scene you didn't see was in front of Chateau where it looked as though Danielle was upset that she wasn't invited to our girls' night out was that Danielle was also there to defend Teresa and find out why Teresa wasn't invited. She was just PMS'ing and showing her consideration for Teresa. I think when Danielle feels rejected or attacked in some way, that's when she attacks back, her claws come out, the wall goes up, and she won't back down. There is nothing worse than a woman scorned and in Danielle's case...it's AMPLIFIED! Be afraid...be VERY afraid. As far as "Gucci Model" some things are just better left as fantasy. Will Danielle find her rich, true love or is Danielle looking for love in all the wrong places? Stay tuned!

OK sorry, this is a REALLY long blog, but now let's talk about me! I was pleasantly surprised to discover that New Jersey is NOT the armpit of the Earth! It's absolutely beautiful! I am sorry if my ignorance offended anybody. I was actually born in Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey and lived there for 6 months before moving away, so how was I to remember? My daughter asked me in the episode if I was "on crack" when I asked her to simply pick up her room. I can honestly say NO, I am not on crack, never have been, and never will be...just thought all of you would like to know. Thanks ASHLEY! Raising a teenage daughter can be very challenging at times. I'm in the burnout stages. She is wearing me out. I hope that there will be women out there that can relate to me. It's not easy. I love her dearly but for GODSAKE, karma is a bitch. I BEG my parents to take the curse off of me. Guess they got their wish when the asked for me to have a daughter one day who was JUST like ME! Live and learn. I LOVE being a wife and a mother and that is my main focus. There is no greater joy to me. During this series you will see my struggles of getting pregnant and maintaining a pregnancy, my challenges of raising a teenage daughter, adjusting to Franklin Lakes living, and my inner-struggle of possibly having to choose between friends and family and being stuck between them. Does it have to be a choice? Can't we all just get along?! Peace out!
XXOO
Jacqueline