S10.E04: Welcome Home, Monroe

[biakbiak]

Quote

Jeff and Gage bring baby Monroe home and officially step into parenthood. After a three-month hiatus, major changes have taken place at the JLD office. Vanina is gone and they have seen a revolving door of nannies. The office assistant has also left, but not before writing a detailed criticism of his first 90 days at the office. Gage struggles to keep up with work while continuously checking on the baby. Jeff starts to get frustrated with his lack of focus.

 

I knew that email that he was reading wasn't from Vanina. Also wasn't the office assistant a friend of Jenny or Meghan? I would be so pissed if I got my friend of job and they wrote a letter like that.

[Bronzedog]

I'm not liking Jeff much this season.

[whydoievencare]

They have a new baby and apparently everything is supposed to go on as before?  If Gage is supposed to be prime for baby care, why would Jeff expect him to produce 100% at work?  Jesus Christ.  Plus, that baby is adorable, but she does scream, it isn't just a cry - that would be so stressful to hear all the time.  Hasn't Jeff heard of Paternity Leave?

Edited September 8, 2017 by whydoievencare

[keetmommy]

Do we know which one is the official dad? (yes I know they are both the dads but whose sperm was used?)

Her screaming would get to me, but why is Gage responsible for al the baby care???

Edited September 8, 2017 by keetmommy

[Bronzedog]

Wasn't it just last week that Jeff was saying how he had always wanted to be a father?  Why?  He doesn't seem to want to have much to do with the baby.  

[Emmeline]

25 minutes ago, keetmommy said:

Do we know which one is the official dad? (yes I know they are both the dads but whose sperm was used?)

Her screaming would get to me, but why is Gage responsible for al the baby care???

I believe the doctor said the egg was fertilized by Jeff's sperm.  I am so worried for Gage.  

[iwasish]

Gage was laughing pretty hard when Jeff and the women were quoting the email. I think he's stressed for sure but I'm pretty sure they play the drama for the cameras. 

Working out of the house and having a newborn in the same house.... not smart.  

Wonder why they've lost so many nannies. 

[biakbiak]

41 minutes ago, Emmeline said:

I believe the doctor said the egg was fertilized by Jeff's sperm.  I am so worried for Gage.  

Yes, it's Jeff's sperm. If they want another child it will be Gage's and the embryo is a boy. Jeff has mentioned all of the lawyers involved there is no way that Gage isn't legally Monroe'sdadas well 

[jaybird2]

i'm sorry i didn't last week's show so i'm a little behind.......

i've always loved jeff and never really cared for cage (i didn't like how he treated zoila) but i'm not liking what i'm seeing.  jeff is appearing rather cold and indifferent to his baby and cage.  i thought having the baby was more jeff's idea.  poor cage and the baby.  not liking jeff at all.

Edited September 8, 2017 by jaybird2

[LilaFowler]

MY GOD. Free Gage! That poor man. Jeff seems to want nothing to do with the baby.

OT, what is that built-in coffee system that they have in their kitchen?

 

[MsTree]

3 hours ago, whydoievencare said:

that baby is adorable, but she does scream, it isn't just a cry

I've never anything like that in my life, including with my own kids. I'd be taking her to the pediatrician to find out if there's something else besides colic going on her system.

[rideashire]

I hope the surrogate doesn't watch this show. If I was her I'd be feeling some kinda way about how that baby is crying. I'm not saying Jeff and Co. are doing anything wrong, just as the woman who birthed that baby I bet it would make her quite sad :(

Come to think of it, just watching that child grow up on tv would probably be rough. I've never had kids but I can't imagine it's easy to part with one after you do all the hard work of growing it and pushing it out.

In other news, I don't know how Gauge has stayed long as has with Jeff saying shit like that to him."What are you bringing to the table if you don't feed the baby. Go pay some bills." WTF?? Jeff is very lucky he found someone willing to put up with him.

[biakbiak]

36 minutes ago, MsTree said:

I've never anything like that in my life, including with my own kids. I'd be taking her to the pediatrician to find out if there's something else besides colic going on her system.

The monitor is hooked up to a mike as was Gage when he was holding her. She had a crazy case of colic and was seen by her pediatrician regularly but Jeff has suggested that the schedule for actually filming around Monroe was limited so I doubt they went to her Dr's. appointments. 

Their moving through renos and moving constantly gives me hives but I am glad they are moving. 

 

14 minutes ago, rideashire said:

Come to think of it, just watching that child grow up on tv would probably be rough. I've never had kids but I can't imagine it's easy to part with one after you do all the hard work of growing it and pushing it out.

She has been a surrogate before so I imagine she feels differently. I so non maternal that I briefly dismissed her reactions as purely hormonal but to each their own. I can not even imagine the mindset of a woman who willingly is a gestational surrogate particularly for people they do not know. This is not a criticism, it is just so far from anythong I want to experience that I literally can't fathom it.

[filmgal]

The baby velociraptor comment was funny. Poor little one, she had both colic and reflux.

 

I wish this could have been a happier time for them and they didn't turn on each other. I have heard Jeff on two podcasts now and he talks about what a great dad Gage is. He did say that they have had to agree that he won't go to her for every little thing now that she's 10 months.

I think Gage was best at calming her (better than the nanny) and so he took that on -- or they agreed he would backup the nanny during the day because Jeff is the one that has more meetings/travel, etc. Jeff was shown with her at night once, they probably weren't there for filming to get much footage during "his" hours.

Gage whispering, "Please don't cry about it" was cute.

Heather would drive me nuts as a client and the text and email from Taylor made me laugh. Actually Jeff's short response firing him was funnier.

[filmgal]

Quote

I've never had kids but I can't imagine it's easy to part with one after you do all the hard work of growing it and pushing it out.

I won't speak for any other surrogates but it is. If I wanted another child I would have one. The entire goal is to help create a family -- I have never been anything but happy to see my couples with their children.

When I see the pictures or videos that they send it's like seeing a friend's kids on FB. Sometimes I can't even believe they came out of me but I've got the photos to prove it. ?

[Slakkie]

My son had colic - it was horrific.  My husband was in the military and gone a lot.  It was me working full time at home taking care of the baby and working.  I was living on 3-4 hours a night.  One day my husband came home and laid on the bed and asked me to take his boots off.  I told him no and he started play acting and said "Im the baby too!"

My head literally spun like the Exorcist.  I am totally on Team Gage and I cannot believe I am typing that.

[rehoboth]

Excepts from last night's show should be used in those high school abstinence programs. ;-D  My first baby also had colic and cried every evening for three months straight.  I was so grateful to have help at night with her from my husband; I couldn't imagine how hard it must be for single parents - I don't think I could do it.  It must be beyond exhausting. 

My baby did have colic but I don't remember any screams like Monroe's.  Crying yes, devil-baby cries no.

My favorite part was when Jeff said that he feels that his friends had all been lying to him about how hard it is to be a parent.

[humbleopinion]

Monroe, who is adorable is exactly the baby these two clueless men needed to bring them to their knees about the realities of parenthood...quick and dirty from day 1.

Kudos for the honesty...showing how the baby's colic and reflux affected the home and business month after month, day by day , minute by minute...running everyone down...

If not, Jeff would had been insufferable about how easy it is to have children and what is the big fuss....bwahahaha.

At least Monroe doesn't turn all different shades of purple and crimson when she is crying, shrieking, screeching and making those blood curdling sounds.

Jeff can be an awful person but still hooked on him, Zoila and Jenni from the first show, I finally have a reason to like Gage.

  Gage doesn't flake on Monroe and he does have a faster calming effect on her.

Lunacy to think you could reno a house with a newborn...especially one that is sensitive to every vibration, noise, temperature of the room.

People do lie if they have a fussy, colicky, refluxy baby...somehow they think it reflects poorly on their parenting.

Poor Megan's daughter...hope the producers asked her permission to keep her first period on the show...

[Suck It Trebek]

22 minutes ago, humbleopinion said:

Poor Megan's daughter...hope the producers asked her permission to keep her first period on the show...

Yes! I was watching with my teenage daughter and she was mortified for Megan's daughter that all of this was filmed. Ugh 

[ghoulina]

27 minutes ago, humbleopinion said:

Poor Megan's daughter...hope the producers asked her permission to keep her first period on the show...

This was the worst part of the show for me!!! 

I know Jeff is a hard pill to swallow, and I do think he was unnecessarily harsh on Gage this episode. But I still like him, and I'm going to cut them both some slack because dealing with a super fussy baby can bring you to brink of insanity. 

But the period thing? Oh helllll no. I would have died. I never tell people crap like that about my kids, except my husband. Or maybe my mom; she's a nurse and I might want health advice or something. My kids aren't quite to puberty yet, but I don't go around crowing about anything going on with their bodies. That's just insane, that she'd tell her co-workers her daughter just got her period, and on national TV to boot! She probably posted it on Facebook too. Give kids some autonomy over their own damn bodies!

[poeticlicensed]

I really hope that Jeff and Gage had a discussion before Monroe's arrival where they decided that Gage would be primary caregiver while Jeff takes responsibility for the business . If they did I don't understand how Jeff expects Gage to be as effective at work while taking care of the baby. I wonder why the nanny quit. Hmm.. I do think that both Jeff and Gage harbored the illusion that they could hire a bunch of nannies and carry on as before. Because as they found out,nannies can quit, parents can't. I do get them being nearly crazy. I was having flashbacks to having a newborn and not getting any sleep . No thank you. 

[humbleopinion]

What they didn't show was Gage calling the pediatrician everyday begging to find out how to sooth Monroe.

Am sure she was shuttled to and from different specialists to find an exotic cause of her other worldly shrieking...but told it is colic and reflux

As awful as Monroe sounds...she feels worse...and every few hours with every feeding...

How would you like to have reflux?

Gaseous burning in your esophagus with every gulp of air mixed with formula fumes and minute splashes of formula mixed with gastric acid?

Crying is her only way to express the pain, discomfort and misery.

Then one day...the clouds part and she can eat and sleep...her cries sound different and the corner turned.

Hope we see that on the show....the other side of the long dark tunnel....

[Rlb8031]

51 minutes ago, ghoulina said:

But the period thing? Oh helllll no. I would have died. I never tell people crap like that about my kids, except my husband. Or maybe my mom; she's a nurse and I might want health advice or something. My kids aren't quite to puberty yet, but I don't go around crowing about anything going on with their bodies. That's just insane, that she'd tell her co-workers her daughter just got her period, and on national TV to boot! She probably posted it on Facebook too. Give kids some autonomy over their own damn bodies!

I didn't think it was that insane, but only because I have a group of childhood friends all of whom have kids that are fairly close in age. The boys are all teens or middle schoolers, while the girls are all grouped in the 6-9 yr old range. This past winter two girls (8 & 9) both started their periods unexpectedly. Moms were shocked/appalled/frightened and emails and text messages started flying around the group. Looking back on it, I think its more about "Oh my god, what the heck, why is this happening now, I'm not ready for it" kinds of thinking and needing someone to talk you down off the ledge. Frankly, Jeff isn't that person as he'd be much more likely to shove you completely off the ledge, but I could completely see someone being so flustered they just needed to share. 

[ghoulina]

Did the nanny actually quit? I must have missed that. I thought she just announced unexpectedly that she needed to leave early that day. 

[bichonblitz]

I'm so pissed at Jeff for thinking it's ok to have a newborn in the house with all the construction hammering and constant noise going on. What the holy hell is he thinking? And why is Gage allowing that? The baby doesn't feel well as it is and has to be woken up by that drilling in her ears. I feel so sorry for her. 

[Sprockets]

8 hours ago, filmgal said:

Heather would drive me nuts as a client

I find Heather refreshing.  This is her house and her money.  She is telling Jeff what she will and will not have in a healthy, assertive way.  Jeff can't stand it.

[Bronzedog]

I would hate to have to try to concentrate/work in that environment.  You have construction noises, a screaming baby, and, Jeff and Gage drama.  

[Maccagirl]

My second baby had colic, for longer than 3 months.  It lasted for almost a year, but thankfully it was not as intense for the whole year.  For the first few months, she would cry and SCREAM, and the screams scared the heck out of us. When we would go to the doctors and asked what was going on, we would say it sounded like a bunch of squirrels were screaming as if they were being run over.  It sounded similar to Monroe's screams, it brought it all back to me.  Second child was tough, because we were trying to keep the first born asleep, which meant hours and hours of walking the baby at night, trying to console her and get her to sleep.  Ahhh, such a distant memory.  Now I am dealing with the pressures of two high-schoolers and college searches, etc.   I'd rather pay for 4 years at an ivy-league school over 1 year of colic any day!!  Best of luck to them and little Monroe; I hope she is over her colic by the time we are watching these shows.

[pasdetrois]

Heather is a real-life type of client. While there are some clients, in any business, that will let a contractor steam roll them, in my experience as a small business owner these are in the minority. Especially when the clients are successful, smart and wealthy.

I think we've seen Jeff quit or fire, or complain bitterly about, at least a dozen clients over the years. In every case it was because they disagreed with him, or were indecisive. He could not handle it, criticized them on-camera, and moved on. He's giving up good money when he does that; Heather threw shade when she said "I'm surprised you would walk away without finishing" because that is very unprofessional and flighty behavior - to quit when you don't get your own way over superficial decisions.

I question how successful Jeff's flip/renovate/design business is. It seems quite chaotic due to his management style. Interestingly, the Yelp review states that not too long ago he was working part-time in a casting office, which makes me question his years of experience. He clearly knows about design and technical stuff, but all he seems to do is give orders, micromanage, and harass.

Why didn't Jenni and Megan warn Jeff and Gage about raising a newborn in a construction zone? Maybe they did and they refused to listen.

I felt sorry for Gage (although he willingly pursued a parenting relationship with a known tyrant). It was clear that he was exhausted and barely functioning. Rather than support him Jeff berated him.

I don't see any evidence of Jeff caring for that baby. If he complains about a 7am feeding, coupled with bratting about paying for everything, he clearly does not have her best interests at heart.

Shame on Megan for oversharing her daughter's private info on national TV.

Edited September 8, 2017 by pasdetrois

[Sprockets]

19 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

Shame on Megan for oversharing her daughter's private info on national TV.

Good gosh, yes!  And then sharing it with a client!  Does anyone have boundaries on this show?  (Other than Heather, who is about to be dumped for her assertiveness.)  Megan should have said "I have an urgent family situation" and then left.  But of course Jeff would have needled her until he found out what it was and then belittled her for thinking it was more important than work.  

I am NOT liking Jeff at all.  

Edited September 8, 2017 by Sprockets
Typos

[psychoticstate]

I'm amazed at myself that I didn't like Gage when he first came on this show.  He is very clearly the voice of reason and sanity around Jeff Lewis.  I love watching Jeff, because he generally entertains me to no end, but he would drive me nuts if I had to be around him for extended periods.  At least based on what we see on the show. 

As someone who has suffered with acid reflux in the past, I really feel for Monroe.  Reflux kicking in every time you eat (and babies eat very often), with colic on top of it?  Poor thing.  And that's not including a house where construction is going on, a business is being run and filmed and multiple dogs and cats reside (dogs will bark.)  

I think Jeff is being unnecessarily demanding and harsh with Gage.  Trying to be funny by waking him up, after he's been up with Monroe during the night, is cruel.  I wondered, along with everyone else, it seems, why Gage is the one doing all the caring for Monroe AND working full-time while Jeff just sits and looks annoyed.  Gage does seem to be a very devoted and caring father so kudos to him. 

Isn't the new design assistant - - Cat? - - Mark Paul Gosselear's wife?  I'm pretty sure we saw her as a client of Jeff's in a past season.  Is she really a designer or does she want to be on tv? 

Jeff certainly has a problem keeping people.  He must be terrible to work with.  Taylor's text/email was awful but I did laugh. 

The nanny quitting without notice looks bad for her and for that household.

Megan . . . why would you allow the news of your daughter's first period to be filmed?  I hope she isn't teased by classmates that may have seen this.   And no, clearly nothing is off boundaries for reality tv.

[Lady Writer]

2 hours ago, Sprockets said:

I find Heather refreshing.  This is her house and her money.  She is telling Jeff what she will and will not have in a healthy, assertive way.  Jeff can't stand it.

Hear, hear!

[Princess Kelbop]

That "What's your contribution? I pay all the bills" comment from Jeff was some first class BULLSHIT. Since Gage joined JLD:

-he encouraged Jeff to start taking speaking gigs, which are pretty darn lucrative for not that much work. (we saw that in Gage's first season. Five, maybe?)

-Jeff got the deals with Living Spaces and then Walter E. Smithe in Chicago. I assume as the Business Affairs person, Gage was pretty instrumental in that.

-Jeff got his paint/tile/barn doors going with Home Depot. In an earlier season we saw Gage worry that Jeff would blow the paint deal with his inappropriate jokes--Gage said Jeff had no idea how many months of work had gone into setting all of it up.

-the show has continued, even though Gage didn't want to be on it at first. 

All of this is Gage's work = money in Jeff's pocket. And honestly, with Jeff's weird control issues and insistence on blurring boundaries, I don't think he actually wants a partner who works a 9-5 job elsewhere. Such a person would be way too independent and separate, which is not how he rolls, Mr. Your office is in my living room/we all have to eat lunch together/I'm timing your bathroom trips/you have to work while listening to the sound of my crying baby.

[Lady Writer]

I love how they're including cute shots of the pets; like when the dog barked annoyedly and the cat was intimidated enough to jump back but not to leave.

Taylor probably got a few shots on target in that email. And rating a supervisor sounds like something I'd do, so Lord knows I can't fault him for that. But the response to the firing was unprofessional.

16 hours ago, Bronzedog said:

Wasn't it just last week that Jeff was saying how he had always wanted to be a father?  Why?  He doesn't seem to want to have much to do with the baby.  

Since we don't see all his interactions I'm not ready to make a determination like this yet, but it could be that Jeff is like those mothers who love to buy all the cute clothes for the baby and all the trappings, but then hand them off to nannies to raise, ship them off to boarding school, etc.; like having fun playing dress-up with a doll, but then getting bored and moving on to the next toy. I also think this focus on things at a shallow level is why he's so quick to take his ball and go home when he's not getting his way creatively; if he's only focused on the surface it's easy to detach.

16 hours ago, iwasish said:

I think he's stressed for sure but I'm pretty sure they play the drama for the cameras.

There's no way those two have a healthy relationship when, as Gage says, he's suppressing feelings of rage on a regular basis. I only hope that when that rage does get released, as all things must, it's channeled toward Jeff instead of to inappropriate targets. Gage seems very tender with Monroe, but I do worry about a child growing up in an atmosphere of suppressed rage.

You shouldn't feel more comfortable telling things to a TV interviewer than you do to the person you're supposed to love.

[Sprockets]

33 minutes ago, Lady Writer said:

There's no way those two have a healthy relationship when, as Gage says, he's suppressing feelings of rage on a regular basis.

Exactly.  And the way Gage kind of laughed it off made me very sad for him.  This relationship has no future without major changes.  

[bichonblitz]

Does Gage get a paycheck from JLD? I would like to know the set up they have. Because if Gage is working for the sheer luxury of getting to live an upscale life with Jeff in his many houses and has to handle the primary care of the baby, then Gage himself has a couple of screws loose. I hope he's getting a nice salary and if he is, then he should contribute to the household. 

[Sprockets]

54 minutes ago, Pegasaurus said:

When you think abut it, there is something very off about that lifestyle.  Will Jeff  ever make a real home?  and actually live in it?

Good point.  Jeff thrives on chaos on every level.  Not such a good thing for a kid to be around.  

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, Pegasaurus said:

When you think abut it, there is something very off about that lifestyle.  Will Jeff  ever make a real home?  and actually live in it?

Likely not, he even mentioned to the contractor when talking about moving into New Hollywood he said that Monroe would have to get used to moving often, it's a lifestyle he enjoys and apparently how he grew up. 

[crgirl412]

The Nanny left early but there are so many people around to help for x number of hours so I don't understand the despair.  I know that it takes 2-3 of them to go to a client's house for anything but maybe only Jeff could go. 

[Grneyedldy]

On 9/7/2017 at 10:17 PM, keetmommy said:

Do we know which one is the official dad? (yes I know they are both the dads but whose sperm was used?)

Her screaming would get to me, but why is Gage responsible for al the baby care???

Jeff is the biological father

[Grneyedldy]

I could so relate to having a colicky baby. It just broke my heart remembering the experience with my own daughter. They didn't know it was acid reflux back then. They wouldn't even admit that colick was even a real thing. Instead they tried to blame it on me being a new mother.  My poor daughter was in pain ALL THE TIME. Hearing your baby cry in pain and not being able to comfort her, is like a knife going through you. Poor Gage, I know how he feels. I was a walking zombie and an emotional wreck. Thankfully, my daughter did get better, but the first 3 months were hell. No sweet cooing and first smiles, just pain and exhaustion. No one truly understands unless they have experienced it themselves.

[Sprockets]

7 minutes ago, Grneyedldy said:

they tried to blame it on me being a new mother

BTDT.  Your child is screaming in pain, you try to get help, and somehow it's YOUR fault?  I'm sorry you went through it, too.  Doctors suck.  

[SunnyBeBe]

On 9/8/2017 at 1:49 AM, MsTree said:

I've never anything like that in my life, including with my own kids. I'd be taking her to the pediatrician to find out if there's something else besides colic going on her system.

I agree.  Something is not right. I pray that figure it out.  Something rare, like adrenal, allergies, neurological, seems to be involved.  Although, she did have the unique cry eight from birth.  Still, the child is trying to tell them something.  I hope they figure it out.  

It all makes sense now.  I saw Jeff in an interview after the birth.  I get it.  He's in shock and exhausted.  Not what he expected at all.  I feel for them.  I can't see him and Gage working out as a couple. 

I am a Jeff fan, but, he really needs more therapy.  He seems to be almost impossible to work for.  When you have the kind of turnover that he has......it's as if he thrives on chaos and interpersonal strife.  Not good.  

[rehoboth]

Jeff loves chaos which is why I am happy that Monroe has someone like Gage to be her anchor.  I'm hoping that Gage puts his foot down over the important stuff and lets the other Jeff-inspired chaos roll off of him.  And then teaches Monroe to do the same. 

As far as turnover in the office, I see it as normal.  Normal based on how they hire people which is by their looks or they are a friend of somebody or they showed up for the interview.  Jeff selects people knowing that they cause chaos.  I used to think that was for the show; now I am not so sure.  I think it was just dumb luck that they hired Gage's "mini me" from 2 seasons ago.

[Sprockets]

11 minutes ago, rehoboth said:

  I'm hoping that Gage puts his foot down

 

He can't or he'll be gone, and he knows it.  No one can even be normally assertive around Jeff without becoming toast.  No one can have their own needs, emotions, or any kind of boundaries around Jeff.  Jeff makes the PC efforts to show he's in therapy, but any therapist who challenged him - which would be his only hope of crawling out of his own ass - would be fired immediately.  We constantly see everyone around Jeff stifling their responses because they know what would happen if they said wht they think and feel.  The only people Jeff keeps around are the people who will do that.  

I am afraid for this child.  She is already pissing Jeff off by being inconvenient and having her own agenda.  And I fear for Gage, because he is already not being allowed to care for the child the way he needs to, and the way this baby needs to be cared for.  This is not good.  

[pasdetrois]

Quote

it's as if he thrives on chaos and interpersonal strife.

My friend is an HR VP at a big corporation; she has a PhD in organizational psychology. She calls Jeff's dysfunctional behavior "control through chaos." He purposefully creates chaos that keeps people from being successful and happy. Chaos causes confusion and results in errors, which gives Jeff opportunities to criticize and control people through fear (of losing their jobs, losing his favor, losing a position on the show, etc.).

I wonder how much he makes off of the show. I suspect the show is his biggest income source.

ETA: I assume Gage, Zoila and possibly some of the other "office staff" receive Bravo paychecks.

Edited September 9, 2017 by pasdetrois

[Sprockets]

14 minutes ago, pasdetrois said:

He purposefully creates chaos that keeps people from being successful and happy.

Exactly.  How very sick this is.  It is control through fear.  It's a psychological protection racket.  I really am losing any compassion for Jeff, and I'm seeing the healty (or healthier) people in his orbit refuse to tolerate it.  Only the unhealthy people will allow his behavior.  

Look at Megan, who has so few boundries she announces both in public and to a client that her daughter had her first period.  Any thought at all for the daughter's feelings?  Nope.  

Gage knows he can never share his true feelings with Jeff, because he would be out the door.  What kind of relationship is that?  

Why does Jenni hang around?  While the boys were whining about their surrogate not being willing to be induced, poor Jenni was in the position of being pregnant for the umpeenth time with the last viable embryo.  Yes, she was actually carrying an actual baby inside her own body, hoping she didn't miscarry at each moment, but that mattered so much less to Jeff, Gage, and the producers than whether the Undynamic Duo were going to be present for the birth of their baby.  Why is Jenni still there?  Doesn't she have a perfect life as a mother and Mrs. Doctor, where theoretically she isn't being snapped at and forced to live in chaos every minute?  

Zoila is just a potato.  I have no idea who she is, after all these years.  Maybe she is no one, and that's why Jeff likes her.  

Edited September 9, 2017 by Sprockets
Removed from the oven before it was fully baked.

[humbleopinion]

Jenni loves the spotlight.

A reality show is the laziest/luckiest way to be in show biz.

She's had a few commercials...deodorant, potties but being Jeff's sidekick is her noteworthy role.

And now she's co- Executive Producer of Flipping Out.

Zoila is the mother figure who has been with Jeff from the beginning... through all the boyfriends, from starting the business the ground up, sitting with Jeff at night warming up his hot pockets and listening to his hopes, dreams, moving with him home to home keeping the household precisely to his OCD standards, and mother to his pets.

When Zoila started combating Gage for Jeff's affections that's when she started to get mouthy and unpleasant.

Seems that drama has finally calmed down now that Monroe is the focal point of the household.

[pasdetrois]

Jenni and her former husband conceived the concept of this show, and she is an exec producer.

[humbleopinion]

Wonder if Chris Elwood, Jenni's ex is still getting checks from the show.

He's got a wife and 2 kids to support.

For fun, go to Flipping Out Full Cast and Crew IMDb and scroll down the hundreds of people who have been on the show, see who you recognize...

Out of the 91 episodes of the show Jeff has been all (of course), Jenni has missed only 1 and Zoila missing in only 2 shows

Baby Monroe has her own little screen shot picture with 1 episode credit