Mariska Hargitay Adopts Baby Girl

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Mariska Hargitay is usually the bearer of bad news on "Law & Order: SVU," but on Wednesday, she had wonderful news to share with the world. The actress and her husband have adopted a daughter, Amaya Josephine.

The American-born baby was welcomed about a week ago. Mariska told People, "I'm deliriously happy. From the minute she was born, she was just surprisingly alert and so full of love."

The family is "thrilled that this is the way our prayers were answered" about expanding their brood and "excited that we are now a multi-racial family." Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Madonna, and Sandra Bullock also enjoy multi-cultural households with a blend of ethnicities via adoption.

Mariska, 47, and husband Peter Hermann have a four-year-old son August who is "over the moon" about the arrival of his baby sister. "He always talks about how he's going to protect her. He's going to be a great big brother," she beamed.

To catch the mom in her crime fighting action, watch "Law & Order: SVU" Wednesday nights on NBC.