Regarding the itch, yes it WILL itch like crazy until it reaches a certain length. This is especially true for 1st timers - Simply because if you regularly shave, your face isn't used to having the hair there in any more than trace amounts.
Simple answer to this is to wash your beard growth with hair conditioner. The 'Head and Shoulders' brand worked well for me. This softens the stubble and takes the itch away. As soon as it has reached a certain length, say after about a week and a half it will stop itching entirely.
Why not take a pic of just your chin (No need to show your entire face) once a day. Then, once its grown, say after a month, put all the pics together to form an animated gif? Pretty cool and easy to do if you use a webcam on your computer to take the pics - You can easily get the exact same position and lighting each day
Good luck and happy growing