Hi Amy, we like to begin our sourdough starter process with a wholegrain flour because wholegrain flours have more wild yeast present, and contain more nutrients for the fledling starter. You might want to consider offering your starter a wholegrain feeding early on. Have you checked out our Sourdough Baking Guide? There is lots of information about how to create a sourdough starter there. Often the kind of burst of activity you describe that occurs early in the process is not due to wild yeast, but to a type of bacteria that gives off carbon dioxide. This particular bacteria seems to be related to a subsequent delay in the wild yeast kicking in, so it might be valuable for you to start over, or give your starter a wholegrain feeding and read up on the process a bit in our guide. Good luck and let us know how it's going! 

Barb

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