I mean, get the attention while the gettin’s good … right? As you may also recall, the judge presiding over Sweetin’s custody hearing last week ruled that she is “not be allowed to be with the child unless one of her folks is present” which is prolly why Jodie was shopping sans baby. I’m not sure how long the paps attention will be focused on Sweetin but I suspect she may be able to extend her 15 mins. of fame a bit longer should her custody case get complicated. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up talking to a magazine after the matter is settled … whichever way it turns out. Isn’t it funny how fickle the finger of Fame and Fate can be?

[Photo credit: Splash News]

Jodie Sweetin is locked in a custody battle so ferocious — that her estranged husband called for an emergency hearing this morning to get access to their 8-month old daughter ASAP. TMZ has learned the 26-year-old “Full House” star and her soon-to-be-ex Cody Herpin are currently facing off in an Orange County courtroom.

HMM … it’s pretty remarkable that Sweetin is so interested in keeping her daughter away from her father, especially considering all the nice things she had to say about him in her divorce papers:

“Our house is in foreclosure, our water has been shut off twice. Currently, all of our other utilities are overdue,” the actress says in papers filed Nov. 19 in an Orange County, Calif., court, describing the 16-month union as “rocky.” Herpin, a driver and transportation coordinator in the film industry, stopped working after they got married, Sweetin alleges. “[He] kept finding one excuse after another for his failure to even attempt to find employment,” she says. Sweetin, 26, claims the couple were kept afloat financially with Full House residuals and help from their parents.

Sad. And I thought this was one Hollywood couple that had it all … I mean, they looked so right for one another. Truth be told, I think baby Zoe would prolly be better off in the care of someone other than either Sweetin or Herpin … I wonder if Uncle Joey would be willing to take her.

UPDATE: TMZ has updated this story with new courtroom deets … and they aren’t great for Ms. Sweetin:

Jodie Sweetin is not allowed to see her 8-month-old daughter without supervision. Moments ago, an Orange County, Ca. judge made the explosive ruling after Sweetin’s estranged husband Cody Herpin accused the “Full House” star of being an unfit mother — citing an alleged incident where Sweetin drove intoxicated with their baby in the car. The couple faced off in open court today for an emergency custody hearing at Cody’s request. Jodie, an admitted meth addict and alcoholic who lives with her parents, will not be allowed to be with the child unless one of her folks is present. A doctor also took the stand and claimed that Jodie had recently fallen off the wagon. However, the doc confirmed Jodie has been in touch with her sponsor and is attending AA meetings. The doctor said she does not believe the baby is at risk at the moment. A judge ordered both Cody and Jodie to submit to drug tests before the next hearing.

Paging, Uncle Joey! You are needed — STAT!

[Source]