diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 7cca081..bacddda 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 
 CC=gcc
-CFLAGS=-Wall -pedantic -Werror -std=c99
+CFLAGS=-Wall -pedantic -Werror -std=c99 -g -O0
+#-fsanitize=address
 
 OBJ=main.o lexer.o token.o node.o
 
diff --git a/lexer.c b/lexer.c
index 03757f4..86344d0 100644
--- a/lexer.c
+++ b/lexer.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ static char* readNumber(Lexer* l);
 static int isLetter(char c);
 static int isDigit(char c);
 
+static Token* newTickToken(Lexer* l);
 static Token* newToken(Lexer* l, TokenType tt);
 static Token* newIdentToken(Lexer* l, char* literal, TokenType tt);
 
@@ -33,8 +34,11 @@ NewLexer(const char* filename)
     Lexer* state = malloc(sizeof(Lexer));
     state->rawFile = malloc((sizeof(char) * fileSize) + 1);
     state->rawLen = fileSize;
+    state->readPosition = 0;
 
     size_t read = fread(state->rawFile, sizeof(char), fileSize, fp);
+    fclose(fp);
+
     if (read != fileSize)
     {
         printf("something borked.  only read %d bytes of %d\n", (int)read, fileSize);
@@ -44,7 +48,6 @@ NewLexer(const char* filename)
 
         return NULL;
     }
-    fclose(fp);
 
     state->rawFile[fileSize] = '\0';
     state->line = 1;
@@ -80,8 +83,11 @@ NextToken(Lexer* l)
         case '.':
             tok = newToken(l, TT_PERIOD);
             break;
+        case '>':
+            tok = newToken(l, TT_GT);
+            break;
         case '`':
-            tok = newToken(l, TT_BACKTICK);
+            tok = newTickToken(l);
             break;
         case '\0':
             tok = newToken(l, TT_EOF);
@@ -161,7 +167,6 @@ readIdentifier(Lexer* l)
     return out;
 }
 
-
 static
 void
 readChar(Lexer* l)
@@ -180,11 +185,6 @@ readChar(Lexer* l)
     l->readPosition++;
 }
 
-void
-Parse(Lexer* l)
-{
-}
-
 int
 isLetter(char ch)
 {
@@ -204,6 +204,39 @@ FreeToken(Token* t)
     free(t);
 }
 
+static
+Token*
+newTickToken(Lexer* l)
+{
+
+    printf("backticks @ %d:%d\n", l->line, l->column);
+
+    if (l->position+3 > l->rawLen) {
+        printf("premature EOF parsing ticks\n");
+        return newToken(l, TT_BACKTICK);
+    }
+
+    // peek up to two more characters
+    int i;
+    for(i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+
+        if (l->rawFile[l->position+i] != '`') {
+            printf("next char isn't a backtick @ %d: 0x%02X '%c'\n", l->readPosition+i, l->rawFile[l->position+i], l->rawFile[l->position+i]);
+            return newToken(l, TT_BACKTICK);
+        }
+    }
+
+    Token* tok = malloc(sizeof(Token));
+    tok->line = l->line;
+    tok->column = l->column;
+    tok->literal = "```";
+    tok->type = TT_TRIPLEBACKTICK;
+    tok->length = 3;
+    readChar(l);
+    readChar(l);
+    return tok;
+}
+
 static
 Token*
 newToken(Lexer* l,
@@ -217,6 +250,7 @@ newToken(Lexer* l,
     tok->literal = nc;
     tok->line = l->line;
     tok->column = l->column;
+    tok->length = 1;
     return tok;
 }
 
@@ -231,5 +265,6 @@ newIdentToken(Lexer* l,
     tok->literal = literal;
     tok->line = l->line;
     tok->column = l->column;
+    tok->length = strlen(literal);
     return tok;
 }
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 9eefe79..de27c68 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -7,35 +7,6 @@
 #include "lexer.h"
 #include "node.h"
 
-/*
- *  RawText ""
- *  LineNumber 0
- *  NodeType NT_Root
- *  ChildNodes
- *      RawText "# Header1"
- *      LineNumber 1
- *      NodeType NT_Header1
- *      ChildNodes
- *          {"Some text."}
- *
- *      RawText "## Header2"
- */
-
-/*
- * NodeType NT_Root
- * ChildNodes
- *      RawText "## Header2"
- *      ChildNodes
- *          paragraph
- *          ChildNodes
- *              {*bold text*}
- *              {_underlined text_}
- *          paragraph
- *
- *
- */
-//Node* ParseLine(char *buffer);
-
 void writeTokenFile(TokenList* tl);
 
 int
@@ -87,10 +58,24 @@ main(int argc, const char** argv)
             case NT_Header2:
             case NT_Header3:
             case NT_Header4:
-            {
-                HeaderNode* hnode = (HeaderNode*)node;
-                printf("{HeaderNode type:%s text:%s}\n", NodeTypeString(hnode->type), hnode->rawText);
-            }
+                {
+                    HeaderNode* hnode = (HeaderNode*)node;
+                    printf("{HeaderNode type:%s text:%s}\n", NodeTypeString(hnode->type), hnode->rawText);
+                }
+                break;
+
+            case NT_BlockCode:
+                {
+                    CodeBlockNode* cnode = (CodeBlockNode*)node;
+                    printf("{CodeBlockNode text:%s}\n", cnode->rawText);
+                }
+                break;
+
+            case NT_Error:
+                {
+                    ErrorNode* enode = (ErrorNode*)node;
+                    printf("{ErrorNode error:%s}\n", enode->error);
+                }
                 break;
 
             default:
diff --git a/node.c b/node.c
index 295b975..d60a1e9 100644
--- a/node.c
+++ b/node.c
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@
 
 static char stringBuff[STRING_BUFF_SIZE];
 
-HeaderNode* parseHeader(TokenList** list);
+Node* parseHeader(TokenList** list);
+Node* parseCodeBlock(TokenList** list);
 
 NodeList*
 ParseNodes(TokenList* list)
@@ -32,13 +33,18 @@ ParseNodes(TokenList* list)
                 break;
             case TT_HASH:
                 // start of header
-                currentNode = (Node*)parseHeader(&currentToken);
+                currentNode = parseHeader(&currentToken);
+                break;
+
+            case TT_TRIPLEBACKTICK:
+                currentNode = parseCodeBlock(&currentToken);
                 break;
 
             case TT_EOF:
                 printf("EOF found\n");
                 return nl;
-            default:
+
+            default:    // paragraph start?
                 break;
         }
 
@@ -65,7 +71,7 @@ ParseNodes(TokenList* list)
     return nl;
 }
 
-HeaderNode*
+Node*
 parseHeader(TokenList** list)
 {
     TokenList* l = *list;
@@ -96,23 +102,19 @@ parseHeader(TokenList** list)
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    stringBuff[0] = '\0';
-    while (1)
-    {
-        int bufSize = strlen(stringBuff);
-        int litSize = strlen(l->token->literal);
-        if (bufSize + litSize + 1 > STRING_BUFF_SIZE)
-        {
-            printf("Buffer not big enough!");
-            return NULL;
-        }
-        strncat(stringBuff, l->token->literal, strlen(l->token->literal));
+    TokenList* end = l;
+    int len = 0;
+    // find header text size
+    while (end->token->type != TT_NEWLINE && end->token->type != TT_EOF) {
+        len += end->token->length;
+        end = end->next;
+    }
 
-        if (l->next == NULL || l->next->token->type == TT_NEWLINE)
-        {
-            break;
-        }
+    char* strbuff = malloc(len+1);
+    strbuff[0] = '\0';
 
+    while(l != end) {
+        strncat(strbuff, l->token->literal, l->token->length);
         l = l->next;
     }
 
@@ -136,9 +138,72 @@ parseHeader(TokenList** list)
     }
 
     retval->next = NULL;
-    retval->rawText = stringBuff;
+    retval->rawText = strbuff;
 
-    return retval;
+    return (Node*)retval;
+}
+
+Node*
+parseCodeBlock(TokenList** list)
+{
+    TokenList* l = *list;
+    // find closing ticks
+    int tlen = 0;   // number of tokens
+    int clen = 0;   // number of characters
+    l = l->next; // skip past the opening triple backtick
+
+    // skip the first newline
+    if (l->token->type == TT_NEWLINE) {
+        l = l->next;
+    }
+
+    while (l->next != NULL && l->next->token->type != TT_TRIPLEBACKTICK) {
+        if (l->next->token->type == TT_EOF) {
+            printf("premature EOF");
+
+            ErrorNode* err = malloc(sizeof(ErrorNode));
+            err->type = NT_Error;
+            err->next = NULL;
+            err->error = "premature EOF searching for closing triple backtick";
+
+            return (Node*)err;
+        }
+
+        tlen++;
+        clen += l->token->length;
+        l = l->next;
+    }
+
+    l = *list;
+
+    printf("codeblock token length: %d\n", tlen);
+    printf("codeblock char length: %d\n", clen);
+
+    printf("malloc(%ld)\n", sizeof(char)*clen+1);
+    char* strbuff = malloc(sizeof(char)*clen+1);
+    strbuff[0] = '\0';
+    int i;
+    l = l->next; // skip past the opening triple backtick
+
+    // skip the first newline
+    if (l->token->type == TT_NEWLINE) {
+        l = l->next;
+    }
+
+    for(i = 0; i < tlen; i++) {
+        strncat(strbuff, l->token->literal, l->token->length);
+        l = l->next;
+    }
+
+    // skip past closing triple backtick
+    *list = l->next;
+
+    printf("malloc(%ld)\n", sizeof(CodeBlockNode));
+    CodeBlockNode* ret = malloc(sizeof(CodeBlockNode));
+    ret->type = NT_BlockCode;
+    ret->rawText = strbuff;
+    ret->next = NULL;
+    return (Node*)ret;
 }
 
 char*
@@ -169,6 +234,8 @@ NodeTypeString(NodeType t)
             return "NT_Bold";
         case NT_Underline:
             return "NT_Underline";
+        case NT_Error:
+            return "NT_Error";
 
         default:
             snprintf(stringBuff, 1000, "unknown NodeType: %d", t);
diff --git a/node.h b/node.h
index acf3097..6e1c502 100644
--- a/node.h
+++ b/node.h
@@ -6,18 +6,29 @@
 #define NODE_H
 
 typedef enum {
+    // Stand-alone elements
+    // cannot contain text modifiers
     NT_Header1,
     NT_Header2,
     NT_Header3,
     NT_Header4,
+    NT_BlockCode,
+
+    // Container elements
+    // can contain text modifiers
     NT_Paragraph,
     NT_UnorderedList,
     NT_OrderedList,
-    NT_InlineCode,
-    NT_BlockCode,
     NT_BlockQuote,
+
+    // Contained elements (cannot be bare)
+    // text modifiers
+    NT_InlineCode,
     NT_Bold,
     NT_Underline,
+
+    // something went wrong
+    NT_Error,
 } NodeType;
 
 struct NodeList;
@@ -40,6 +51,18 @@ typedef struct {
     char* rawText;
 } HeaderNode;
 
+typedef struct {
+    NodeType type;
+    struct Node* next;
+    char* rawText;
+} CodeBlockNode;
+
+typedef struct {
+    NodeType type;
+    struct Node* next;
+    char* error;
+} ErrorNode;
+
 /*
 typedef struct {
     NodeType type;
diff --git a/token.c b/token.c
index ca753bb..01c96a7 100644
--- a/token.c
+++ b/token.c
@@ -63,6 +63,8 @@ TokenTypeString(TokenType tt)
         return "TT_PERIOD";
     case TT_BACKTICK:
         return "TT_BACKTICK";
+    case TT_TRIPLEBACKTICK:
+        return "TT_TRIPLEBACKTICK";
     case TT_WHITESPACE:
         return "TT_WHITESPACE";
     case TT_NEWLINE:
diff --git a/token.h b/token.h
index fef4d0e..b5bb0d7 100644
--- a/token.h
+++ b/token.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ typedef enum {
     TT_DASH,
     TT_PERIOD,
     TT_BACKTICK,
+    TT_TRIPLEBACKTICK,
     TT_WHITESPACE,
     TT_NEWLINE,
     TT_WORD,
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ typedef struct Token {
     char* literal;
     int line;
     int column;
-    char* printBuff;
+    int length;
 } Token;
 
 typedef struct TokenList {