I can't hold my eyelids open to put in contacts. my eyes start to burn, and my eyes water. anything i can do to help this?

Burning eyes: Put in artificial tears (non preserved is best like Refresh Plus) before put in contact lenses. See lid hygiene at Eyedoc2020.blogspot.com to prevent burning long term.

Recommendation : Stop using contacts for a while, and make appointment with Doctor. Most likely you need medication for eyes, may be antibiotics. You can use warm compress with camomile or black tea for temporary relief.