flea, like everyone else said, pain down your leg is almost always a sciatic nerve issue. It could just be that the back muscles around the origination point of the sciatic nerve could be all inflamed and therefore pinching the nerve. That's pretty common.

And, AFAIK, sciatic nerve pain is pretty common in pregnancy. But I think there are ways to alleviate it -- but for that, and given that you have an armadillo in your belly, I agree that it's a good idea to see a doctor.

AFAIK, sciatic nerve pain is pretty common in pregnancy

I had it all three times, and the second two it started a lot earlier than the first (which began when I pretty far along, and I assumed from the weight of the baby pressing on stuff). Definitely ask your doctor, though.

OK, I now honestly believe the person I am dealing with is dumber than dirt. How he's managed to acquire a PhD, no wait.... how he's managed to leave his house without a fatal domestic accident, eludes me.

This is what I was afraid of. Dang armadillo.

Puppies in a monorail! Too cute.

If that doesn't spur the Monorail craze, I don't know what will!

"Is there a chance the track could bend?"

"Not on your life, my canine friend!"

I call the little one Bitey.

Flea, it does sound like sciatica. I had it during the last half of trimester the second, and boy, did it suck.

The good news is, it did go away when she got bigger, for whatever reason, so you might not have it the rest of the pregnancy. Call your OB or midwife and ask if they have any tricks for it--there may be some stretches you can do. (I can't remember what I did. I think I just suffered.)

Sophia, Royalty-Free images aren't, strictly speaking, free. It's just a one-time usage fee that gives your company or organization the right to use them perpetually, rather than having to pay for each use as is the case with Rights-Managed images. From the major companies they can average around $200 per hi-res image individually, though there are serious price breaks if you can find a CD with multiple images that you want to use. Fotosearch.com is a good place to use when searching for images (check the CD collections), though I'd suggest contacting the source company of each CD to see if you can negotiate a lower cost.

There's also a supposedly free alternative of photography at www.morguestock.com but the images don't have signed photo releases as part and parcel of the deal. I've been reluctant to use them myself for fear of loopholes in the legality, but you might want to read through their terms and FAQ to see if it's something that could be useful to you.