My husband is really sad that our 9mo baby is going through a Mama phase. What would have helped you?

Question for parents whose babies have gone through a phase of being clearly, obviously attached to the other parent...I feel like everything I say ("It's developmentally normal" "She lights up when she sees you!") falls flat and I'm not sure how to help him feel better about this time. Our baby loves him and does get very excited to see him when he comes home from work. But within 15 minutes, she wants to be back with me and there's a clear difference in how she interacts with me versus my husband. As an example: She likes when my husband plays with her, but she's all snuggles and sloppy kisses with me. My husband will kind of half-joke that our baby "won't even look at" him when they play (she's obsessed with cruising along the furniture right now) but will freak if I don't hold eye contact with her while she smiles "adoringly" up at me.He's not wrong, she's a total mama's girl right now, but it's a normal phase. I'm also a SAHM and spend about 23/7 with her most days. And on top of that, he's been feeling down about his [temporary but intense] work commitments right, so I think our baby's seeming lack of interest makes him feel like "Cat's in the Cradle" is playing underneath all his interactions with her. He's an extremely devoted father so it's inaccurate, but doesn't stop him from feeling that way.Since reminding him that it's a normal phase tends to make him more churlish about the whole thing, does anyone else have experience or ideas for how to help him feel better about it? Or is it just a phase for him too, in a way? via /r/Parenting https://ift.tt/2H0mRWt