Calvin, have you ever considered working with bonsai trees? You make a few snips, wait a year for it to grow out, make a few more snips... It is a very slow process, and some trees have been passed down through multiple generations.
A pond isn't quite as bad, but it is still a slow process. When I add new plants, I don't expect to see the results until the next year. When I buy a new fish, I will watch them over several years to see how they grow, how their colors change, to see if they develop into a fish I really like. About the only thing that happens fast in a pond is cleaning out the fallen leaves, and the nightmare that happens when something goes wrong with your plumbing and you suddenly find all of your water out on the ground.
Instead of worrying so much about when each phase of the pond cycle will complete, spend your time looking over your setup. See if there are any pipes that might be dangerously loose. Imagine what might happen for each pipe if it came loose, and think about ways you might improve your setup to make it less likely that something bad can happen. For example, making sure your pumps are not sitting on the bottom of your pond, but are raised up so that ALL of the water can't be pumped out if something goes wrong. Is there any way your fish could become trapped by the pumps? How are you going to finish the edges of your liner? Do you want to add any decorative rocks or caves for the fish (and if so, consider how you will clean them when needed)? What about reading up on DIY filters -- learning how to make your own and seeing if you can find resources such as barrels (making sure you get ones that are rated food-safe so you don't put anything nasty into your pond). A pond is more than just a container of water with some fish in it. There's plenty of other things to learn about, and you have a lot of time now. Find out how to make a home that your fish really feel comfortable in, and you will have them for many many years.
And keep in mind what I said before... the nitrite and nitrate cycles can happen fast or slow. You may have missed them completely, or your pond may be doing a slow cycle which never causes a noticeable spike. There are so many variable that nobody can tell you exactly what is going to happen, or how soon it will happen. But if you think its hard waiting now, wait until you get to the pea-soup cycle of free algae which can take more than a month to clear up, and will go on even longer if you try treating it with algae killers...
Oh, something else came to mind. What does your pond smell like? That's important to pay attention to over time. If you have ever seen a large pool of water that doesn't move, you know what stagnant water smells like. And you may have already smelled something when the ammonia was spiking. When everything is good in your pond, you shouldn't smell anything except fresh water, but over time things will change and a smell may be your first sign that something is wrong. This is one of the things you need to learn about your pond that will help you keep it running smoothly through the years.
