"You would hardly sound like a wimp for thanking your wife for coming out of her shell. I always thank my husband when he lets me do things that have previously been out of his comfort level. I know that he's doing it to please me and I am thankful for it."
I know, I'm just paranoid about the placating stuff sometimes. I don't want it to come across as "oh, thank you thank you thank you for this wonderful gift you have given me, how can I ever repay you" type stuff. I know it is extreme, but that is the sort of thing I think about sometimes. I look back at myself and can see what a horribly placating guy I was, and how unattractive it must have been for my W. I'm just trying to walk the fine line between being overly "nice" and thinking "she should have been doing this all along anyway, why should I thank her?" KWIM?
Chrome, there is something to this and I think you shouldn't make extra efforts to "praise". I know the 'spurts say to encourage the positive, but for some people this can come across as cheesy and overboard, or it makes them feel put on the spot because you're calling attention to something they may not care to have spotlighted. You know for me, placing your hands around my face, grinning into my eyes and saying "I love you!" happily would mean more than any other verbal type of appreciation.
