Update.
It was looking real good until last night...
I took pictures over the weekend...
It just isn't quite as thick as had hoped it would be...
still gonna wait it out tho.
You're just about at the half-way mark for getting ready to trim, it's going to look more like an untended lawn than a beard unless you really have dense growth. The itching will start soon, and that does end. At the end of a month you're going to have an idea of where it's going, it won't be a "mature" beard for three months. This requires (1) vision, (2) patience and (3) endurance. You'll get there and October when it's really starting to look good, you'll be glad you did it.
So since going Mr. Clean for Halloween I had to start the beard over again... I have lost count of what number I'm on since August(3 I think).... I have a few good pictures from before will post them if I can(they are on my phone). but this time it grew in really well and I got quite a few compliments, I am pretty pumped about it.
I had four, count them four, false starts before this go for growth that will be 10 months in December. It really takes a few false starts I think to get some feeling for where you want to go with it. Now if you cleaned off the eyebrows for Halloween--that's an area I've never gone to.
Said it before, when you decide to go Sly, it's about 20 minutes, a beard, a real one--not just fashionable stubble--takes three months unless you have incredible density. Good luck on this new endeavor--keep a growth diary--same pose every week to two weeks. That can help you keep a realistic view of your progress.