If the last name “Kosmal” is used at a UW–Platteville freshman event this fall, three heads might turn.

Troy and Michelle Kosmal of Oconomowoc are sending their triplets — Austin, Karrisa and Katie — to UW–Platteville, where Troy and Michelle were students.

Michelle found out she was pregnant with more than one baby when she had a 14-week ultrasound appointment.

“We were, of course, very excited; this was our first baby,” she said. “The doctor said, ‘wait a minute, I see two heads, twins!’ I looked at Troy, who was leaning against the wall, smiling weakly.

“Then the doctor said, ‘Oh, wait a minute.’

“‘What?’ I asked, thinking something was wrong.

“‘I see another head. It’s triplets!

“With that, Troy slid down the wall, mumbling, ‘College, weddings, diapers!’”

The Kosmals had just moved to Green Bay and were new to the neighborhood, and their church was on the other side of the city, so they couldn’t get much help from other people.

“If my mother hadn’t come up one weekend a month, I don’t know how we would have all survived,” said Michelle. “I felt like that skit on the old ‘I Love Lucy’ show, where she’s trying to wrap pieces of candy on a conveyor belt and couldn’t stay ahead.

“I would change a baby, feed that baby, feed another baby, change that baby, feed the third baby, change that baby. I tried to give attention and cuddling time to each one, but it was hard.”

The triplets did end up getting a brother, Cody.

“One day in church I saw a young mother holding and cuddling one child and I knew I wanted to experience that — time with one infant,” said Michelle. “Cody was born four year ago and he’s been a great addition.”

“Oh, my gosh.  I was so happy to get a brother,” said Austin.

When asked what being triplets was like, Austin and Katie said, “Having people think we always go together like a unit,” and Karissa said, “Having some teachers compare us to each other.”

The best thing?

“Always having someone to talk to who knows exactly where you are coming from,” said Austin.

The girls agreed and said they also thought alike. Dressing separately they would come upstairs, both wearing the same color top and same color pants.  There would be a groan, and one of them would go back and change.

How did they all come to decide on Platteville for college?

Karrisa decided first because UWP had “a cool marching band. “ She wants to major in accounting and business.

Katie was intrigued not only because of the marching band, but its concert band. She will major in environmental engineering. This first year the sisters decided to room together.

The draw for Austin was UWP’s cross country team, as he was very involved with that in middle school and high school. He will major in engineering, as his father did.

Are they looking forward to college?  A resounding “Yes!” from the three.

Said Michelle, “It certainly will make college visiting a snap.”