B.C. identical triplets' mom says rare birth 'feels like a dream'

The mother of identical triplets, bornin Kamloops, B.C., says she and her husband hope to bring the girls home before Christmas.

"We are absolutely in love," saidMahalia Meeuwsen, three weeks after she and husband Mike welcomed the triplets into the world.

"We are blown away. It still feels surreal, like a dream. But we are so much in love, so happy and feel really blessed."

Born 8 weeks early

Daughters Hannah, Rileigh and Isabelle are gaining weight, breathing on their own and no longer need intravenous lines, Meeuwsen said.

"You can see they're growing, and starting to fatten up a little bit, which is good because they were quite small when they arrived, almost eight weeks early."

Holding all three girls for the first time was a wonderfulexperience, she said.

The girls were born by C-section on Nov. 3,and weighed just over three pounds each.

Doctors said the odds of having identical triplets, without the use of fertility treatments, are one in 50 million.

The triplets are in the neonatal unit at Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. TheMeeuwsenssaid they may be strong enough to go home to Salmon Arm in three weeks.