xsl:number and conditional

I managed to figure out my question re: preceding (so nevermind
Wendell), but in so doing realized I had another problem.

If I understand right, this, in the context of a function:

<xsl:number level="any" select="$footcite"
          count="db:footnote|db:citation[not($footcite/ancestor::db:footnote)
]"/>

... should not be counting db:citation elements which are descendents
of db:footnote.

Is that right?

My problem is that where I have a db:citation as child of db:footnote,
I end up with a list numbered liike:

1
2
4
5

... where the gap (numbered '3' but not output) is the
db:footnote/db:citation element.

Bruce