Repot help/thrips?

A week ago I split up two monsteras that used to be in a single pot into separate pots. I kept 90% of the roots when I untangled them from each other. When repot them, I used the same soil mix I had been using plus perlite to help with drainage. (They’ve done well in it so far, even though it’s not ideal.)

When I finished repotting them I made sure to water, but it’s been a week now and the soil is still showing very wet with my moisture meter. They get plenty of southern AZ Sun as they sit right next to a west facing window. I’m worried the monstera isn’t absorbing the water and that I will drown the roots. I don’t plan on watering until the meter shows it’s dry. Anything else I can do to help?

Also, I’m concerned about the faint brown spots on the back of some of the leaves and stems. Some sources say this is a sign of thrips, but I thoroughly inspected all the waves and have yet to find a single thrip. Any ideas?