Hi Danielle, If you're seeing some bubbling and rising, then there is definitely hope and I wouldn't give up! You didn't mention your exact feeding routine, but I'm wondering it if might be helpful for you to try feeding your starter with a different ratio of ingredients. Ideally you want to replenish (feed) your starter when it's at its peak of rising, or just beginning to fall. The yeast can get sluggish if the starter is allowed to collapse significantly between feedings. Especially if you notice your starter seems to rise and fall well before it's due for its next feeding, then offering your starter a relatively larger meal will help slow down fermentation. You might want to try 1 starter : 2 water : 2 flour, or even 1:3:3, by weight. The goal is to find a twice a day feeding routine that works for you and your starter, and allows you to replenish when the starter is close to that peak of rising, or just beginning to fall, rather than completely fallen. If you're worried about all the flour you're using, consider maintaing a smaller starter. In reduced quantities a 1:2:2 ratio would be: 12g starter + 24g water + 24g flour, and a 1:3:3 would be 10g starter + 30g water + 30g flour. Temperature also plays an important part in the rate of fermentation, so if you notice your starter is peaking too fast, consider moving it to a spot in the low 70's and using cooler water to feed it. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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