Thanks Sersvj, after initially panicking about my precious beard after the trim, I eventually thought 'meh, it'll grow back'. I mean, what else can I do?
I'm going to need to go way beyond 13 weeks to get the full beard I'm after, so I may as well get comfy for the long haul.

The positive comments on here and seeing my own pictures have helped me accept that it still looks okay, so all your input is very much appreciated.

onwards we go!