hey bud, so far awesome looking journal!
as far as checking the crystals/trichs, i prefer a 30x-100x zoom pocket microscope from a place like radio shack (cost $10 - $12). also, because you want a flat surface, i suggest cutting off a single tiny leaf blade that grows or protrudes out from the buds, as opposed to cutting off buds, or fan leaves.
As far as the top maturing before the bottom, feel free to harvest all the mature parts and to leave the rest of the plant alive, and in the 12/12 light cycle. After harvesting the top branches you will be allowing more light to hit the middle and bottom branches. So the short answer is, Yes. You can harvest the top, dry it while the bottom continues to mature under the newly more available light.
Do not just let the weight of the buds bend your branches. Eventually the weight of the buds will BREAK the branch is it gets heavy enough. if possible, get some string and tie the branch up to something so that the weight isn't an issue, or i guarantee that you will be crying when that fatty snaps your branch. If theres nothing to tie the branch to, then tie the string(not tightly) around the branch, and tape the other end of the string to the cupboard wall, as long as the branches aren't being weight down. (i don't remember if u mentioned u had this or not but,) you should get a fan to lightly blow on the leaves if you do not have one already. the gentle breeze from the fan is enough to increase the strength of the stems.
if you have leaves that are giving you issues, wait until at least 51% (more than half) of the leaf has been afflicted by the issue. remember, leaves absorb light for the plant to later convert into useful stuff for the plant, so you need the leaves. After a leaf has been 51% afflicted, you should remove it, MAKE SURE that when u remove a dead/dying leaf, that you remove the stem too, all the way to the base of the plant. leaving part of the old stem will cause that part die anyway, but it will also invite things like infection, pests/bugs, and mold/fungus. Always make clean cuts.
stop rubbing things on your plant! i know that it's hard to just sit there and watch, trust me i do. but every time you touch your plant, or rub things on your plant, and you get that sticky residue on your rizla, well, what you are actually doing is rupturing the trich (gland) heads, and effectively lowering the quality of the meds that you are growing. Those trich/gland heads are what contains the psychoactive component that we call THC, be extremely gentle to those glands, as they are the whole reason you're doing this.
Have fun and Good Luck!