Is my water pump dead??? PLZ REPLY

Whats up dudes,
Please dont flame me here, I think I have read every post on here about overheating and the causes. I had a bad overheating problem after I put in my thermostat the other day. I was convinced by reading the posts that I possibly didn't "burp" the system...well I've done that now and im getting heat (which I wasnt getting at all before), but I now noticed a leak coming from the gasket area of a pan directly under the bottom pulley on the engine. Now, forgive me for not knowing but I know, or think I know thats not the oil pan down there...(I have my diagrams at home, im at work now)...Is the water pump directly at the bottom of the engine behind that large pulley?... I thought it was the one just up and to the left of that one... Im wondering if my water pump is gone... I cant really tell. when it was overheating it was running like ***** and pinging, not to mention what looked like white smoke coming from tailipes (it was actually like 20 degrees outside, so I really think that could have been steam from all the water escaping, not white smoke). I dont think the intake is cracked as there is no water sitting on top of the block...So my question is, what is wrong seeing as the fluid is leaking out of that bottom area...It doesnt leak as bad when sitting still/ off as when it runs obviously...But as of now it looks as if the overheating problem is gone ( I guess it was just very low on fluid..) could I have killed my pump when it was running dry? I was getting a burned bearing/metal smell a bit there when it was running bad...but, I believe fluid is circulating as the top radiator hose from the thermostat to the radiator gets very hot...
confused here, you guys are always a help.
Thanks

update

ok. got home and looked at diagram. Looks like a fairly easy to remove and install.. I was way wrong as to where it was though. I wonder if the fluid is coming out there (out of the weep hole maybe?) and going straight down the block and past the pulley, hence looking like a leak at the bottom of the engine around that pan/gasket...I wasnt even thinking to look up where the pump is..There has been a moderately loud noise coming from what I thought was one of my pulleys, but I guess it could have been the pump...One note, I took out my thermostat yesterday...it runs plenty hot without it somehow, and it seems to take some strain off the pump. It takes the strain off something because it wont overheat hardly at all. I guess I will try to check the water pump and see if it is leaking.
How tough on a scale of 1-10 is it to replace? It looks easy, but they show you pics on what might as well be a motor stand (good ole pos Haynes manual).
any other ideas welcome. I also thought it could be a radiator clog but Im not sure.
later

no, thermostat was in right.. I dont think it would even fit backwards, but I know I had it in right (spring down, toward engine) .I got it at Autozone though...they are notorious for giving the wrong parts, I may just put in my old one as I still have it. The old one had a small hole and this new one doesnt. I don't see how a hole that small would let enough fluid pass to keep it cool though...Im going to check the water pump and see if its that. If its not then who knows...Do you know if its a job I can do pretty quick?... I didnt know if I needed any special tools...

well every 100 years we get snow and ice here and today was the day. Didn't get to change my pump...guess it will have to wait until after Christmas. I did look and it appeared that a small stream of water had been coming from that area under the pump so im guessin its toast. I assume if I had someone sit in there and rev it I may see it spew more?,,, either way im replacing it. Cant hurt, especially cause this car has about as many miles as it is from here to the moon on it...It appears that as long as I stop and put water in it when it starts to heat up im fine..