What Heaven Is That : Genesis 1:1

I was recently in a discussion, actually a different topic and it moved to a discussion about Genesis 1 and heaven. I mentioned I believe Genesis 1:1 is talking about the creation of heaven where God is and earth where we are.

I was told “You really need to find a good commentary brother. You have apassion for God, but you need some help in how to interpret the Bible”, which is fine, but the majority of things I believe have come from books, preachers, and/or teachers of the Baptist type. So, there is probably only a small portion of ideas I may hold that originated out of thin air (for a better quote) from reading the Bible without any previous knowledge of such from another person.

I have been told that “the heaven” in verse 1 is “the deep dark expanse of outer space...where the stars, the moon, the planets, the solar systems, etc., are located”. Also that “the firmament” of day 2 “was the area which held the water described on day 2”.

I was also given this:
Strong's,
Extended surface (solid), expanse, firmament
Expanse (flat as base, support)
Firmament (of vault of heaven supporting waters above)
Considered by Hebrews as solid and supporting 'waters' above
It does not exist to day, because it's part of what God used in the flood, later in Genesis.

Let me say that I do believe the firmament separated water above and below itself as scripture claims in Genesis 1:7 and I do believe that the waters above the firmament were used in the flood of Noah’s day. YET, scripture does not say the firmament held the water, but that the water was “above” and “below” the firmament.

I was also asked “you think the birds fly in the same firmament as the one where you’ll find the sun, moon and stars? I take it you never studied astronomy andthe different ‘spheres.’”

Here is my reply:

This is why I am being confused by what is being said.

In verse 1 it is said that God created the heaven and the earth; therefore they come into existence. So, at the beginning, we have "the heaven" and "the earth".

In verse 6 God creates a firmament between the waters and calls this firmament "Heaven" (8).

So now we have "the heaven", "the earth", and "firmament" (called heaven).

In this same firmament now called heaven (8) (not the original in vs. 1, for vs. 1 was already created in the beginning) he places the sun, moon, stars, etc. (14-18). In this same firmament we see fowl flying (20).

I am unclear as to how one can say the firmament can be removed without removing also the sun, moon, stars, etc. that God placed there. In vs. 14-18 God clearly puts the sun, moon, stars, etc. in the firmament that is created on day 2, not in the heaven created "in the beginning".

I also fail to see how the firmament created in verse 8 can be the same heaven in verse 1, whereas we don't take the mention of earth in vs. 1 and then in vs. 2 as two different earth's being created.

The closet thing I can pull is as it says "the firmament in the heaven" meaning the firmament (called heaven) is in the midst of the heaven He created "in the beginning".

So I pose the question here to the reader:

Is the heaven created in Genesis 1:1 where God lives or not? In your opinion, of course.