Hi and Welcome!
It's great that you recognize you need to deal with your alcoholism before you plan to have a family with your girlfriend.
And, yes it does get easier. When I stopped drinking, I couldn't imagine getting through an evening without drinking. I had no clue what I would do. What worked for me was changing my routines and daily patterns. I had to do something different after supper so I would stop thinking about drinking and getting out of the house and taking long walks helped me on so many levels. Strong cravings don't usually last very long and small things like chewing gum can help, blasting some music, playing with your pet, whatever works for you.
It's really hard to put your ego aside, but you know what, it's a big part of recovery. When I began recovery, I realized how much I had been an ego-driven person, and I had lost the sound of my soul. I needed to get that back again.