I'm in a confusing situation. A company I interviewed with and would love to work for sent me a follow-up email stating that I was their top candidate and that they were waiting for funding before making an official offer. The email also outlined salary and benefits. As this would be my first professional-level job, I consulted friends and family about how I should respond and the majority said I should start negotiating the starting salary and ask about vacation time, which wasn't included in the list of benefits.
The employer responded to my follow-up questions quickly but I haven't heard anything else for over a week. I know it's very early in the process, but I am starting to panic. Did I cross a line by negotiating this early? Was it inappropriate to ask about vacation time?