Its all good s13boy. Just follow the protocal for it man. Grab that new water pump when ever you can and dont forget to flush that radiator like a mother. I usually just grab the hoes and have the water force down any deposits that might be stuck at the bottom of the rad. It might have been something as little as some sludge since you said the bottom of your radiator was still cooler that the top. After this youll even notice a little drop on the temp needle while ur driving
So just check on it periodically to see if theres any change in the water level and also check to see if theres any water in ur oil, this will be a sign of a bad HG.