Aaron – welcome, and you’ve got a fine bike. I like to say that the “best” bike is the one that gets you on the trails. Ride the crap out of it!
As the other guys are saying, a new bike will stretch the cables a bit, and of course you need to always keep up on the cleaning and lube (mostly chain). Check with where you got the bike – many places offer a few tune-up within the first year.
With regard to the creaking near the bottom-bracket, certainly occasional creaks squeaks are normal. If it really is the bottom-bracket, that is not normal for a new bike. But I’ve also found that often the noises aren’t actually coming from where I first think. First place I always go is degrease and lube the chain. Second, check and tighten the crank arms and you might even try removing them, clean, grease, and tighten. The other places to check are the stem/headset and seat-post/seat. I know you might hear the noise elsewhere, but I’ve been fooled before. Good luck!