Crying

I was doing my morning reading today (in Exodus ironically) listening to Olive cry in the background. We had a rough 15 hr stretch which she is currently (hopefully) sleeping off. Over the last 5 months I've learned more and more about Olive. Learned to interpret her cries and what they mean. Unfortunately, most often hers are cries of frustration; lack of self-control and patience leave her in a frustrated puddle more often than not. Sometimes that frustration if not dealt with by me escalates into a frenzy of panic on Ollie's part. She forgets what she was even crying about and is now simply panicked that she's crying and there's no one helping her.
Listening to her this morning I could recognize that she was mostly just bored and wanted to be entertained even though there was a whole slew of toys in front of her. She was a little frustrated that she was stuck in one place just sitting, with falling over being her only hope for change of location. I wonder sometimes how we sound to God. I wonder how often our frustration at lack of control over our situation or options available to us causes us to panic fearing that there's no one out there trying to help us or remedy our situation.
It's funny to me how often Olive's tantrums can be ended just by me moving myself to be next to her. That she can be comforted by my presence (or anyone else's for that matter). Nothing really has changed, the toys are the same, her position is the same, but she is not alone.
As I struggle to find some balance between letting her learn appropriate behavior by not rewarding her tantrums and being merciful to a small baby, I wonder how God decides to respond to our whining. Each time in the desert God answered them. Each time reminding them that He is faithful and merciful. "How long will I put up with you?" He asks them, granting what they need. I wondered today reading Exodus 17 if God had planned some other way for them to find water, or if He intended for them to cry out. I wonder if He waits for our cry sometimes or if by crying, we chose our way and negate another possible whine free option? If the Israelites had continued just a little while longer would there have been a fresh water stream just around the corner? Or sometimes, is the plan for us to cry all along so that God can show himself the loving father, caring provider, and patient sovereign?