I have upped my appreciation towards him on things he does to help around the house and with the kids so I think these compliments need to be more about him. I have never done that so I don't want it to seem false or overkill, ya know!
This is good. Do more more reassuring complimentary things and more importantly make the time to have more "heart to hearts" where you can use your mouth to express with words and not just the non-verbals that you think the world of him and that you will help him in any way that you can as his partner and his mate for life.
Make yourself available to him even if he chooses not to assign you to help him in any way.
Also I think that it is very important that you allow your faith to pull you through the inhibitions that seem to be there when you say that you are afraid that you are afraid that he will take a semi-new twist of your being overtly complimentary of him in a kind of phony way.
To that I say, act as your heart leads you. If you feel like you want to compliment him (which might be semi- 180ish), then push past the inhibition (which I feel the devil is throwing your way) and just do it. You have no idea how they will be received. If your heart compels you to do it then do it instantly before you overthink it and analyze it.
I have put this directive into practice an awful lot recently and have had great results in my sitch when using it resolve a matter or a bunch of them.
May your faith be multiplied right along with your blessings.
