Teresa Giudice of ‘Real Housewives’ is out of prison in time for Christmas, confined to her home

Mama's home: Teresa Giudice of "Real Housewives of New Jersey" fame was released around 5 a.m. Wednesday from Danbury Federal Correctional Institution in Connecticut, where she was doing time for bankruptcy fraud.

She's not off the hook completely, however, on her 15-month sentence. Giudice returned home to Montville, N.J., where she'll be under house arrest until Feb. 5, the Associated Press reported. The mother of four daughters went to prison on Jan. 5 but got time knocked off for good behavior.

Giudice will be allowed to spend Christmas Eve over at her brother's house, her attorney told the AP.

When she got home around 7:30 a.m., she was greeted by homemade "We Missed You"-type signs on the front door, E! News reported. Daughter Gia Giudice, 14, posted a brief note on Twitter acknowledging her mom's return.

The homecoming was "a private moment but it was very emotional, very powerful and it was something to see," Teresa's husband, Joe Giudice, told reporters Wednesday via E!, noting that nobody in the family had gotten much sleep the night before, but predicting that "everyone is going to sleep well tonight, myself included."

Teresa sent a Merry Christmas message via Joe in which she said, "all of you should go be with your families and your loved ones."

Now, Joe Giudice is going to get the opportunity for a similarly emotional reunion, but not for a few years, as he's heading to prison himself to serve a 41-month term, also for bankruptcy fraud. The two pleaded guilty to a number of fraud and conspiracy charges at the same time in March 2014, but the judge staggered their sentences to allow one of the parents to be home to take care of the girls.

In October, Joe seemed rather sanguine about his upcoming sentence. "Nothing to be scared about. You just go in, do your time and get out, like everybody else does. ... You can't be scared about it, you just go in and do it," he told E! at the time.

"Teresa and Giuseppe Giudice used deception and fraud to cheat banks, bankruptcy court and the IRS," U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman said in March 2014. "With their guilty pleas, they admitted the schemes with which they were charged. Having now confessed their wrongdoing, the Giudices face the real cost of their criminal conduct."

At least Teresa got to learn some "jail talk" along the way, her husband said, and made some new friends.

Follow Christie D'Zurilla on Twitter @theCDZ and Google+. Follow the Ministry of Gossip on Twitter @LATcelebs.