I think it's just trapped?
bend her from underneath that strap?
Leaves lose majority of their function if upside down. If not important to canopy, lop it off if being too much of a pain. Probably easier to water.
Measuring is great -- i will never tell someone not to be precise... it's what i love!
Watering is an imprecise endeavour, though. Water to about 20% runoff. When top 1" dries, water again.... easy as that. By measuring, you'll be able to see how much more the plant drinks over time in a quantifiable way... very useful information for gaining familiarity and more.
By the time it is flowering, what was once a 48-hour wait may be 24 hours or less. Pot size has an impact, of course. How large you grow it, etc...