diff --git a/aws-code/transaction_generator.go b/aws-code/transaction_generator.go
index 3877439a7..e437f2ce5 100644
--- a/aws-code/transaction_generator.go
+++ b/aws-code/transaction_generator.go
@@ -22,15 +22,21 @@ func main() {
 
 	ip := flag.String("ip", "127.0.0.1", "IP of the leader")
 	port := flag.String("port", "9000", "port of the leader.")
+	txToSend := flag.Int("tx_count", 100, "number of transaction")
 
 	txs := make([]blockchain.Transaction, 10)
+	txCount := 0
 	for true {
+		if txCount >= *txToSend {
+			break
+		}
 		for i := range txs {
 			txs[i] = newRandTransaction()
 
 		}
 		msg := node.ConstructTransactionListMessage(txs)
 		p2p.SendMessage(p2p.Peer{*ip, *port, "n/a"}, msg)
+		txCount += len(txs)
 		time.Sleep(1 * time.Second)  // 10 transactions per second
 	}
 }
diff --git a/consensus/consensus_leader.go b/consensus/consensus_leader.go
index 0dff34d8f..b8ecf2f77 100644
--- a/consensus/consensus_leader.go
+++ b/consensus/consensus_leader.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ var mutex = &sync.Mutex{}
 func (consensus *Consensus) WaitForNewBlock(blockChannel chan blockchain.Block) {
 	for { // keep waiting for new blocks
 		newBlock := <- blockChannel
-		log.Println("got block.....")
 		// TODO: think about potential race condition
 		if consensus.state == READY {
 			consensus.startConsensus(&newBlock)
diff --git a/node/node.go b/node/node.go
index 1679d3491..441f9a9a3 100644
--- a/node/node.go
+++ b/node/node.go
@@ -122,19 +122,23 @@ func (node *Node) NodeHandler(conn net.Conn) {
 func (node *Node) WaitForConsensusReady(readySignal chan int) {
 	for { // keep waiting for consensus ready
 		<- readySignal
-		log.Println("got ready signal.....")
 		// create a new block
 		newBlock := new(blockchain.Block)
 		for {
 			if len(node.pendingTransactions) >= 10 {
-				log.Println("creating new block")
-				// TODO: package actual transactions
-				newBlock = blockchain.NewGenesisBlock(blockchain.NewCoinbaseTX("x", "y"))
+				log.Println("Creating new block")
+				// TODO (Minh): package actual transactions
+				// For now, just take out 10 transactions
+				var txList []*blockchain.Transaction
+				for _, tx := range node.pendingTransactions[0:10] {
+					txList = append(txList, &tx)
+				}
+				node.pendingTransactions = node.pendingTransactions[10:]
+				newBlock = blockchain.NewBlock(txList, []byte{})
 				break
 			}
 			time.Sleep(1 * time.Second) // Periodically check whether we have enough transactions to package into block.
 		}
-		log.Println("sending new block to consensus")
 		node.BlockChannel <- *newBlock
 	}
 }