This sounds absolutely normal to me! I had a similar experience with my BF; when we first met, he did everything in his power to court and woo me (randomly dropping flowers off at my house, bringing me dinner after work, lots of affection and praise, etc.) I’m not a naturally romantic or trusting person so I had a hard time reciprocating. Then we had a big snag after 6 months together and as a result, things sort of flipped. Now he’s a lot more casual/distant while I’m the one who craves affection and contact. But when I haven’t seen or talked to him for a while, I can tell he’s been missing me because he ramps up the affection again.

Personally, for our relationship, this is the new normal. We both have agreed that like any relationship, the initial burst of newness and excitement can’t really be recaptured. We’ve been together for 3 years and we’ve figured out what works for us. My BF being a little more distant/busy is actually a blessing in disguise, because it gives me more time to refocus on my own needs and goals. So while he works his second job on weekends, I work on my novel.

I also like hearing him verbalize his thoughts and feelings, but he is more of the “actions speak louder than words” type and his effusive praise when we were first dating was actually something of an anomaly. So when I feel like I need some reassurance, I have to tell him straight up: “Please use your words right now, I am not a mind-reader.” 😉