Just wanted to post a little update for anyone interested. I completed this process a few weeks ago (Quite the extensive and frustrating task haha). I ended up getting the CEL again a few days later and finally gave up and brought it to subaru.
Either my intake manifold gaskets were ok or I had multiple leaks because when they did a smoke test on my car the leak is coming from below the TGV gaskets. In order to replace these they need to take apart everything I already did and more and they estimate its a 7+ hr job.
Bottomline, estimated cost of $900+
so heads up to anyone who can get a smoke test done first.. might be worth it to make sure which gaskets are leaking before tearing your car apart and finding out you had an additional leak.