ISU graduate student Abdalla Kishta has his hands full, literally.

Kishta, a fourth-year student in agricultural engineering, and his wife Safia are the new parents of triplets.

“Say hello,” Abdalla says to his 3-month-old son Mohammad, who is too interested looking at the lights in the ceiling to listen to his father.

Safia Kishta, who was artificially inseminated, found out she was carrying three babies after her first ultrasound last June. On Dec. 3, Basma, Sarah and Mohammad were born nine weeks premature at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines.

Abdalla and Safia went to Des Moines every day during the month that the triplets were in the hospital. But while the daily trips were tiring, they were nothing compared to the first week that the babies came home.

“Wow, that’s a terrible week,” Abdalla said. “We didn’t sleep at all.”

Now, three months later, the Kishtas still haven’t caught up on their sleep. Abdalla said that between changing diapers, feeding or just holding the babies, the couple usually gets only between four and five hours of sleep a night.

“It is a bit much for a student, but we are handling it,” he said.

One way the couple is handling it is by working as a team. Abdalla said he is not taking classes this semester so he can help his wife during the day. He said finances have been pretty tight, though, since the couple’s only major source of income is his scholarship from Egypt. While he would like to be able to find more work, his scholarship does not allow it.

Abdalla walks to a large crib that dominates one corner of the couple’s tiny apartment in University Village. As he lays down Mohammad to pick up a crying Sarah, both babies break into a fresh chorus of tears. Sighing, he picks them both up.

“You know, Sarah’s in the middle,” Abdalla says as he goes back to sit down with a baby in each arm.

Safia Kishta, who is busy feeding Basma, points to Sarah with a smile on her face.

“At first she was very quiet,” she says. “But now she says, ‘I am here!'”

Janelle Durlin, social worker in the maternal health program for Women, Infants and Children in Ames, said she is amazed by how well the couple has handled their three additions.

“There’s a lot with three babies,” she said. “I can’t imagine.”

In an effort to help, Durlin said she is trying to coordinate volunteers to assist the family throughout the week.

“Day or night, they are not picky at all,” she said. “Lots and lots of effort has been put into it, but unfortunately, not a lot has progressed.”

Durlin said she does not have any volunteers right now, but she will continue trying to find people. Anyone interested in helping with the babies should call her at 956-3312 for more information.

Abdalla and Safia said they had their first break for a few hours last Wednesday, when a friend came over to watch the triplets.

“We went to the mall, and we got some stuff for them,” Abdalla said.

Chris Fowler, residence life coordinator for University Village, is also trying to help the couple by coordinating a diaper drive throughout the ISU and Ames communities.

Fowler said the drive started Monday and will run through the month of February. They will be accepting any diapers or clothing at the various drop-off sites located on the ISU campus.

“Right now, we’ve gotten a few,” Fowler said. “Knowing Abdalla and Safia, anything we give them, they’ll be appreciative.”

Basma begins squirming as Safia continues to burp her, turning her head from the flashbulb as the photographer takes another picture.

“I think this is the one who starts it many times,” Abdalla says, pointing at Basma.

Safia holds Sarah, who has finally settled down, and mentions something to her husband in Arabic. The couple laughs, looking at Sarah.

“We are waiting for them to play with us,” Abdalla says. “Everything is new for us; we’re just learning for our first and last time.”

Safia looks at her husband questioningly.

“Three is enough,” Abdalla says.