diff --git a/include/packets.h b/include/packets.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab100de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/include/packets.h
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+#pragma once
+#include <stddef.h>
+
+
+struct Header {
+    /*
+     * ID (Packet Identifier)
+     * a random ID is assigned to query packets.
+     * Response packets must contain the same ID as the query.
+     */
+    size_t packet_id : 16;
+
+    /*
+     * QR (Query/Response)
+     * 0 if the packet is a query
+     * 1 if the packet is a response
+     */
+    size_t is_response : 1;
+
+    /*
+     * OPCODE (Operation Code)
+     * 
+     * 0    - standard query (QUERY)
+     * 1    - inverse query (IQUERY)
+     * 2    - server status request (STATUS)
+     * 3-15 - reserved
+     *
+     * almost always will be 0
+     */
+    size_t opcode : 4;
+
+    /*
+     * AA (Authoritative Answer)
+     * 
+     * 1 if the responding server is authoritative for the queried domain
+     */
+    size_t is_authoritative : 1;
+
+    /*
+     * TC (Truncated)
+     * if true, this message was truncated.
+     * usually happens when the response payload
+     * is larger than the max UDP packet size
+     *
+     * if set, the query may be re-issued over TCP for the full payload.
+     */
+    size_t is_truncated : 1;
+
+    /*
+     * RD (Recursion Desired)
+     * if set by the client, the server should
+     * attempt to resolve the query recursively
+     * 
+     * the server may not allow recursive resolution.
+     * (see RA / Recursion Available)
+     */
+    size_t recursion_desired : 1;
+
+
+    /*
+     * RA (Recursion Available)
+     * if set by the server, incicates that the server allows
+     * recursive queries.
+     */
+    size_t recursion_available : 1;   
+
+    /*
+     * Z (Reserved)
+     * in the original spec, this is reserved for future use.
+     *
+     * in later RFCs, it is used for DNSSEC queries.
+     * (to be implemented)
+     */
+    size_t z : 3;
+
+    /*
+     * RCODE (Response Code)
+     * Set by the server to indicate success or failure of the query.
+     * Provides details about the cause of any failure.
+     *
+     * 0    - No error
+     * 1    - Format error - the nameserver was unable to interpret the query
+     * 2    - Server failure - the nameserver was unable to process the query due to an internal problem
+     * 3    - Name error - Meaningful only from authoritative nameserver -- the domain name specified in the query does not exist.
+     * 4    - Not implemented - the nameserver does not support the requested query type
+     * 5    - Refused - the nameserver refuses to perform the requested operation. for example, it may refuse a zone transfer.
+     * 6-15 - Reserved for future use
+     */
+    size_t response_code : 4;
+
+    /*
+     * QDCOUNT (Question Count)
+     * the number of entries in the question section
+     */
+    size_t question_count : 16;
+
+    /*
+     * ANCOUNT (Answer Count)
+     * the number of entries in the answer section
+     */
+    size_t answer_count : 16;
+
+    /*
+     * NSCOUNT (Nameserver Count)
+     * the number of entries in the authority records section
+     */
+    size_t ns_count : 16;
+
+    /*
+     * ARCOUNT (Additional Records Count)
+     * the number of entries in the additional records section
+     */
+    size_t ar_count : 16;
+};
+
+
+/*
+ * RecordPreamble
+ * shared fields that all DNS record types use
+ */
+struct RecordPreamble {
+    // TODO: add label sequence
+    
+    /*
+     * TYPE
+     * the record type
+     */
+    size_t type : 16;
+
+    /*
+     * CLASS
+     * specifies the class of the data in the RDATA field.
+     * in practice, always set to 1
+     */
+    size_t class : 16;
+
+    /*
+     * TTL (Time-To-Live)
+     * how long a record can be cached before it should be requeried.
+     */
+    size_t ttl : 32;
+
+    /*
+     * RDLENGTH (Record Data Length)
+     * length of the record-type-specific data.
+     */
+    size_t rd_data_length: 16;
+};
+
+/*
+ *  A Record
+ *  represents the mapping of a domain name to an IPv4 address
+ */
+struct ARecord {
+    struct RecordPreamble preamble;
+    size_t ip : 32;
+};