In some embodiments, a wireless device (e.g., a cell phone) has a transceiver, a processor, and a memory. The processor store periodic downlink (DL) data received from the transceiver in a periodic DL buffer in the memory, aperiodic DL data received from the transceiver in an aperiodic DL buffer in the memory, periodic uplink (UL) data in a periodic UL buffer in the memory, and aperiodic UL data in an aperiodic UL buffer in the memory. The processor determines in what order to handle the stored data in the periodic and aperiodic DL and UL buffers and handles the stored data in the determined order.