I'm sorry about the ding on the razor, modul8r! That sucks. But it sounds like you had a pretty positive first shave otherwise.

First the razor: unless you really hit the blade hard, a small nick or chip can be honed out. There are plenty of people here who would be willing to help you out with that. Check the classifieds.

For future shaves, you may want to wipe the blade off on a towel in between passes instead of rinsing it every time. I wipe the lather off on the palm of my hand. This way the razor never gets near the sink or faucet, except for the final rinse at the end of the shave. But, do what works for you, just be careful.

The 2nd and 3rd passes will come with time. If you focus on a good prep and proper technique with the grain, it will get easier. I would say once you can do WTG passes without a lot of irritation, try across the grain.

Keep us posted on how things go!