i fitted lanimated oak 40 mm top's almost 3 years ago, and they are fine. I let them settle indoors for several weeks before I cut them to size and joined 2 of them to make a corner. The factory finish (ikae) was apalling, so I did the job properly with a fine set sharp block plane and cabinet scrapers, then they had maybe 8 or 10 treatments of danish oil/linseed oil mix cut with turpentine done over a week or so. they have been reoiled once since then (due for another actually!). They are getting an attractive patina now. I was concerned that I might get proiblems with the corner joint (masons mitre) seeing as wood shrinks and swells a lot across the grain but none along the grain-i thought the joint miight fail. But as I say I let the wood aclimatise for much longer than the usual day or 2, and used biuscuit's to reinforce it (unglued, with 3 drawbolts to pinch it up) I fixed oak upstand's to the wall and let the work top's float under them if they do swell or shrink a bit-but they dont appear to have done so. The last thing I'd want is a SOLID wooden worktop-it seems like a nice idea but unless you have a very evenly grown quarter sawn board, or one from dead centre of the tree, you are almost certain to get problems with the wood cupping. Your wife does have a point though, if you leave pools of water eg round the sink, you can have problems with water ingress and excessive swelling, but that has stopped now-we are careful to wipe up thoroughly and I reoiled that area any way
PS the previous house I lived in we fitted melomine work tops, they are reasonable, but once damaged your unable to do a proper convincing repair, especially if they get water inside them they swell, get scorched or the melomine gets chipped. At least with the solid wood you can use a scraper or plane, at worst cut in a small piece of wood to make good a repair