my 2 cents, prior to inflation

congrats for the progress

sound like OP has ordered parts. I am assuming not much for hills on the commute or I would have said keep the 14-34 and to to 52/42 of 53/39 if the derailler has the capacity

but to second a point made earlier, make sure seat is high enough, it make a huge difference. (I recently figured out i was 2 cm too low, amazing differnce after raising that 2 cm)

You should have to slid of the saddle to put a foot down at stops

otherwise keep having fun

That would depend on the bike and your riding position. If you're a on a triathlon bike with a forward-tilted body position, certainly. If you're on an Electra Townie, definitely not.

There was a guy in my Saturday group ride who had to do that. I'd watch him from behind. When he got out of the saddle to accelerate or climb, his butt dropped lower than his saddle. When he sat back down, he had to stop pedaling and stand on tiptoe to hitch his butt back up to the saddle. He was using saddle height to compensate for his lack of ability to pedal in circles with suppleness and flexibility.