Three's company

MAXINE GORDON

SIX eyes stare up at you when you cross the threshold of Melissa and Stephen Knowles's home. Their triplets are one year old on Thursday and are happily scurrying around the lounge carpet looking for the next toy to play with or piece of furniture to conquer.

It's a completely different scene from 12 months ago when Charlton and his sisters, identical twins Kamen and Jazmin, made their entrance into the world, weighing in at just 4lb 8oz, 4lb 3oz and 3lb 2oz respectively.

And what a year it's been.

Melissa and Stephen have watched their tiny wonders turn into inquisitive tots - each with their own personalities. Charlton, the biggest of the three, is happy to play on his own, while Kamen is a real attention seeker, who adores being picked up and cuddled. Jazmin is the baby of the trio, the smallest and a bit of a cry baby, says Mum.

Not surprisingly, the family's four-bedroom house in Pocklington is as much a playschool as a home, with toys everywhere. In the kitchen, three high seats are lined up in a row, ready for feeding time. Three cots dominate the sunny yellow nursery, home to even more cuddly toys.

Watching Melissa and Stephen take it in turns to play with their children: coaxing them to say 'woof, woof' or clap their hands along to Old MacDonald, they make it all look so easy.

Of course it isn't. It's a constant conveyor belt of care: nappy changing, feeding, dressing, bathing, playing from rise until bed time. Exhausting, yes, but exhilarating too.

"Some days I feel I just can't do it. I'm so tired I can't imagine getting through to seven at night, but somehow, you just cope," confesses Melissa. "You have to. They are your responsibility and they rely on you."

The couple have been married for 11 years and had all but given up hope of having a family when Melissa fell pregnant.

She suspected she might have twins because they run in both her and Stephen's families. But never triplets.

"When they told me I was very frightened. I was in a state of panic, not because I didn't want three, or didn't think I'd cope, but I didn't think I'd be able to carry them."

After an uncomfortable pregnancy, during which she suffered from Braxton Hicks contraction, Melissa had the babies by caesarean section at 35 weeks.

She recalls seeing them for the first time and not believing they were hers. "I couldn't believe they were mine for keeps. Even now, I go over all that's happened and it seems like a dream. I can't believe it happened to me."

She reminds herself of what she calls her "little miracles" whenever she fears she is running out of steam.

"We use about 120 nappies a week. The washing machine is on two or three times a day as there's so many clothes, towels and sheets to wash," says Melissa.

Feeding time is a bit easier now that the triplets are weaning.

"One bowl, one spoon," says Melissa, making it sound as easy as pie.

Luckily, the babies have healthy appetites and are not fussy eaters.

Food is another expense, but Melissa keeps the family budget under control by making her own meals for the babies. Pasta and tomato sauce is a favourite, but they also like veg and fruit.

"I'm just trying to get them off formula milk and on to cow's milk, although they don't like it because it's not as sweet," she explains.

But the children love yoghurt and look forward to their afternoon treat: three white chocolate buttons.

Bath time is tricky at the moment as the babies are too small to go in the family bath together. Each night, Melissa bathes them separately in the baby bath - unless she gets in the big bath with them all.

"It's fun, but I can't have the water too deep or too hot, and I like a big hot bath!" she says.

In the early months, a nanny stayed over in the evenings to care for the babies at night which allowed the couple a chance to grab a full night's sleep and re-charge their batteries.

Dad is a big help too. When he's not at work running his electrical business, he's every part the family man, says Melissa.

"He's brilliant. A lot of dads won't do certain things, but he'll do absolutely anything and everything when he's here."

Melissa's mum, Edith Haigh, is another central part of the care team, and comes over most days to help out. The triplets adore her, says Melissa.

"They absolutely love her and she ruins them. She's fantastic as she sits and cuddles them - something I don't have the time for - and she will sit with them and try to get them to talk to her."

During the morning, Melissa tries to catch up on some housework, then after lunch, they all go out, either a stroll into town in the triple buggy or for a drive out to a nearby town in the family car: an Espace people wagon.

But wherever they go, you can guarantee the triplets are a crowd puller.

"People do look at you and ask 'how do you cope?'. But we don't mind. The babies get used to it and they play to an audience," says Melissa.

There will be plenty of opportunities to play to the crowds this week as the triplets celebrate their first birthday. There will be a small family party on Thursday followed by a barbecue for all their cousins on Saturday.

Looking ahead, Melissa believes the triplets will help give her and Stephen a youthful outlook on life.

"They make you feel old just now because we are so tired, but as they get older they'll keep us young.

"Before we had them we were a bit set in our ways, but now we'll be going to theme parks and swimming, we'll be getting into computers and the Internet.

"We never used to watch the Tweenies... now we know them all."