Triplet girls born to Council woman Pam Julien Houchen

Bryce Alderton

Three car seats sat together in the living room, awaiting occupants to

fill them.

And soon the three girls born to Pam and Bryan Houchen at 9:15, 9:16

and 9:17 a.m. last Thursday will come home from the hospital in them.

Councilwoman, turned mother of four, Julien Houchen gave birth to

three girls, Rachel Kim, Katherine Rose and Grace Allison, at Saddleback

Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills last week.

Each a very tiny bundle of joy, the girls weighed in at 3 pounds 14

ounces, 3 pounds 10 ounces and 2 pounds 4 ounces.

The girls will remain at the hospital for a month, their father said.

Mom is unsure when she will come home.

“I hope shortly,” Julien Houchen said.

On Monday night the proud parents held the babies in their arms for

the first time.

“These are power babies,” she said. “They look really great.”

The triplets join the immediate family that also includes Bryan

Houchen’s 8-year-old daughter Ashley from a previous marriage.

“She’s excited as can be about being a big sister,” he said. “It’s awe

inspiring. I look forward to them coming home. It’s gotta be fun.”

The babies were born two months prematurely, which is normal for

triplets, the parents said, and were able to go off the respirators and

intravenous tubes a day after they were born.

The couple chose the name “Rachel Kim” in memory of Bryan Houchen’s

sister Kim Lorraine who was killed in an automobile accident in 1976, he

said.

“Another Kim into the family is really special,” he said. “I’m sure

she’s smiling down on us.”

Julien Houchen will resume her duties as councilwoman as soon as

possible, she said. For the past two months she has not attended City

Council meetings, but has watched them from home and participated via

phone on a couple occasions.