diff --git a/doc/examples/counter.fut b/doc/examples/counter.fut
index daf32c9..bdd2ee6 100644
--- a/doc/examples/counter.fut
+++ b/doc/examples/counter.fut
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 proc counter() -> Logic<8> {
 	reg count = 8'0;
-	count = count + 1;
+	// TODO: no addition yet :(
+	next count = count ^ 1;
 	count
 }
diff --git a/src/frontend.rs b/src/frontend.rs
index 52998d3..8946776 100644
--- a/src/frontend.rs
+++ b/src/frontend.rs
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ impl Context {
                 BlockExpr::Block(block) => {
                     // TODO: we need to find some way of resolving a name to an expression
                     todo!("can not convert blocks to typed_ir yet");
-                    for (name, expr) in &block.assignments {
+                    for (kind, name, expr) in &block.assignments {
                         let signal = typed_ir::Signal {
                             id: typed_ir::DefId(self.ids.next() as u32),
                             typ: self.types.primitives.infer,
@@ -330,7 +330,8 @@ impl Context {
 
         let mut exprs = Default::default();
 
-        let root_expr = self.type_expression(&mut exprs, &comb.expr)?;
+        // TODO: fixme
+        let root_expr = self.type_expression(&mut exprs, &comb.expr.value)?;
 
         Ok(typed_ir::Body {
             signature: callable_id,
diff --git a/src/parser/block_expression.rs b/src/parser/block_expression.rs
index 896c65e..35016bf 100644
--- a/src/parser/block_expression.rs
+++ b/src/parser/block_expression.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ use crate::parser::{
 /// a block that is a single expression
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct ExpressionBlock<'a> {
-    pub assignments: Vec<(Token<'a>, Expression<'a>)>,
+    pub assignments: Vec<(Token<'a>, Token<'a>, Expression<'a>)>,
     pub value: Expression<'a>,
 }
 
@@ -59,11 +59,12 @@ fn match_block(input: TokenSpan) -> IResult<TokenSpan, MatchBlock> {
     )(input)
 }
 
-fn expression_block(input: TokenSpan) -> IResult<TokenSpan, ExpressionBlock> {
+pub fn expression_block(input: TokenSpan) -> IResult<TokenSpan, ExpressionBlock> {
     map(
         tuple((
             many0(tuple((
-                delimited(token(tk::Let), token(tk::Ident), token(tk::EqAssign)),
+                alt((token(tk::Let), token(tk::Reg), token(tk::Next))),
+                terminated(token(tk::Ident), token(tk::EqAssign)),
                 terminated(expression, token(tk::Semicolon)),
             ))),
             expression,
diff --git a/src/parser/comb.rs b/src/parser/comb.rs
index 4892347..7dba4ed 100644
--- a/src/parser/comb.rs
+++ b/src/parser/comb.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use super::{
+    block_expression::{expression_block, ExpressionBlock},
     declaration::TypeName,
     expression::{expression, Expression},
     module::inputs_list,
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@ use nom::sequence::delimited;
 use nom::sequence::preceded;
 use nom::sequence::tuple;
 use nom::{
+    branch::alt,
     combinator::{cut, map, opt},
     multi::many1,
 };
@@ -20,13 +22,14 @@ pub struct CombBlock<'a> {
     pub ports: Vec<PortDecl<'a>>,
     pub genparams: Vec<TypeName<'a>>,
     pub ret: TypeName<'a>,
-    pub expr: Expression<'a>,
+    pub expr: ExpressionBlock<'a>,
 }
 
 pub fn comb_block(input: TokenSpan) -> IResult<TokenSpan, CombBlock> {
     map(
         preceded(
-            token(tk::Comb),
+            // TODO: rename to not just be comb
+            alt((token(tk::Comb), token(tk::Proc))),
             cut(tuple((
                 token(tk::Ident),
                 opt(delimited(
@@ -36,7 +39,7 @@ pub fn comb_block(input: TokenSpan) -> IResult<TokenSpan, CombBlock> {
                 )),
                 delimited(token(tk::LParen), inputs_list, token(tk::RParen)),
                 preceded(token(tk::RArrow), typename),
-                delimited(token(tk::LBrace), expression, token(tk::RBrace)),
+                delimited(token(tk::LBrace), expression_block, token(tk::RBrace)),
             ))),
         ),
         |(name, genparams, inputs, ret, expr)| CombBlock {
diff --git a/src/parser/tokens.rs b/src/parser/tokens.rs
index f885169..ac92c28 100644
--- a/src/parser/tokens.rs
+++ b/src/parser/tokens.rs
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ pub enum TokenKind {
     Comb,
     Let,
     Struct,
+    Reg,
+    Next,
     // whitespace
     Comment,
     // Error
@@ -237,6 +239,8 @@ fn lex_keywords(input: Span) -> IResult<Span, Token> {
                 map(tag("state"), |_| TokenKind::State),
                 map(tag("let"), |_| TokenKind::Let),
                 map(tag("struct"), |_| TokenKind::Struct),
+                map(tag("reg"), |_| TokenKind::Reg),
+                map(tag("next"), |_| TokenKind::Next),
             ))),
             peek(not(alt((alpha1, tag("_"))))),
         ),