diff --git a/internal/controller/etcdcluster_controller.go b/internal/controller/etcdcluster_controller.go
index b086cec..981a3c3 100644
--- a/internal/controller/etcdcluster_controller.go
+++ b/internal/controller/etcdcluster_controller.go
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ func (r *EtcdClusterReconciler) Reconcile(ctx context.Context, req ctrl.Request)
 	if !state.endpointsFound {
 		if !state.stsExists {
 			// TODO: happy path for new cluster creation
+			log.Debug(ctx, "happy path for new cluster creation (not yet implemented)")
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/controller/observables.go b/internal/controller/observables.go
index e79b35e..adbaba3 100644
--- a/internal/controller/observables.go
+++ b/internal/controller/observables.go
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@ type etcdStatus struct {
 // observables stores observations that the operator can make about
 // states of objects in kubernetes
 type observables struct {
-	statefulSet      appsv1.StatefulSet
-	stsExists        bool
-	endpointsFound   bool
-	etcdStatuses     []etcdStatus
-	clusterID        uint64
-	endpointsReached int
-	pvcs             []corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim
+	statefulSet    appsv1.StatefulSet
+	stsExists      bool
+	endpointsFound bool
+	etcdStatuses   []etcdStatus
+	clusterID      uint64
+	_              int
+	_              []corev1.PersistentVolumeClaim
 }
 
 // setClusterID populates the clusterID field based on etcdStatuses
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func (s *etcdStatus) fill(ctx context.Context, c *clientv3.Client) {
 }
 
 // TODO: make a real function
-func (o *observables) desiredReplicas() int {
+func (o *observables) _() int {
 	if o.etcdStatuses != nil {
 		for i := range o.etcdStatuses {
 			if o.etcdStatuses[i].memberList != nil {
diff --git a/test/e2e/e2e_test.go b/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
index aadc826..9b18844 100644
--- a/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
+++ b/test/e2e/e2e_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
 	"sync"
+	"time"
 
 	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
 	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
@@ -95,6 +96,15 @@ var _ = Describe("etcd-operator", Ordered, func() {
 				ExpectWithOffset(1, err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 			})
 
+			Eventually(func() error {
+				cmd := exec.Command("kubectl", "get",
+					"statefulset/test",
+					"--namespace", namespace,
+				)
+				_, err = utils.Run(cmd)
+				return err
+			}, time.Second*20, time.Second*2).Should(Succeed())
+
 			By("wait for statefulset is ready", func() {
 				cmd := exec.Command("kubectl", "wait",
 					"statefulset/test",
@@ -144,6 +154,15 @@ var _ = Describe("etcd-operator", Ordered, func() {
 				ExpectWithOffset(1, err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 			})
 
+			Eventually(func() error {
+				cmd := exec.Command("kubectl", "get",
+					"statefulset/test",
+					"--namespace", namespace,
+				)
+				_, err = utils.Run(cmd)
+				return err
+			}, time.Second*20, time.Second*2).Should(Succeed())
+
 			By("wait for statefulset is ready", func() {
 				cmd := exec.Command("kubectl", "wait",
 					"statefulset/test",
@@ -192,6 +211,15 @@ var _ = Describe("etcd-operator", Ordered, func() {
 				ExpectWithOffset(1, err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 			})
 
+			Eventually(func() error {
+				cmd := exec.Command("kubectl", "get",
+					"statefulset/test",
+					"--namespace", namespace,
+				)
+				_, err = utils.Run(cmd)
+				return err
+			}, time.Second*20, time.Second*2).Should(Succeed())
+
 			By("wait for statefulset is ready", func() {
 				cmd := exec.Command("kubectl", "wait",
 					"statefulset/test",
@@ -217,8 +245,10 @@ var _ = Describe("etcd-operator", Ordered, func() {
 			auth := clientv3.NewAuth(client)
 
 			By("check root role is created", func() {
-				_, err = auth.RoleGet(ctx, "root")
-				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+				Eventually(func() error {
+					_, err = auth.RoleGet(ctx, "root")
+					return err
+				}, time.Second*20, time.Second*2).Should(Succeed())
 			})
 
 			By("check root user is created and has root role", func() {