The wait is finally over for actress Mariska Hargitay and her husband Peter Hermann. Hargitay, who plays NYPD detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, welcomed their first child into the world Wednesday afternoon.
The baby boy, who was born in Los Angeles, was a week overdue and weighed in at a whopping 10 lbs. 9 oz. (The baby ranks among the largest to be born to an actress, though is still dwarfed by “Hercules” star, Kevin Sorbo’s son who weighed 12 pounds, 6 ounces at birth.)
Hargitay and her new bundle of joy are reportedly doing well. Hargitay’s rep tells PEOPLE magazine that the new parents are “ecstatic – over the moon.” Despite his June arrival, Hargitay and Hermann have decided to name their son, August. (Perhaps, in honor of their wedding month.) Hargitay, met Hermann (a fellow actor) on her hit NBC show, they hit it off, dated, got engaged, and in August 2004, the couple wed in Santa Barbara, California, in front of 200 guests.
Even before she was married, Hargitay made it no secret that she had always dreamed of being a mom. (Hargitay’s own mother, ’50s blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield, died in a car crash in 1967.) Hargitay’s pregnancy, which was well documented by entertainment magazines, was spent stocking up on baby clothes and other items for the nursery. In April, Hargitay told PEOPLE magazine, “I want everything ready so that when he comes it’ll be all about him.” Some of Hargitay’s favorite purchases included soft, fuzzy blankets and large, cuddly stuffed animals.
Hargitay said it was important for her to stay in shape during her pregnancy. She did so by attending prenatal yoga classes and rubbing Belly Smooches cream on her stomach. Despite the changes to her body, the first time mom said she relished every moment of her pregnancy. “I can’t wait to meet this child, but I also don’t want it to end,” she told PEOPLE magazine last month. “I feel more beautiful and goddessy than I ever have.”
Now that the baby has arrived Hargitay plans to enjoy two activities that were off-limits during her pregnancy: hot baths and sushi.