Wondering if there is now a way to merge my two Apple ids?

No, the closest you can get is:

Family Sharing - https://support.apple.com/HT201060 - "Family Sharing makes it easy for up to six people [different Apple IDs] in your family to share each other’s iTunes, iBooks, and App Store purchases without sharing accounts. Pay for family purchases with the same credit card and approve kids’ spending right from a parent’s device. And share photos, a family calendar, and more to help keep everyone connected."