Good to hear it's working.
When they do finally let them hold you (it'll start with just a second or two at first), try rewarding them with something special just before you put them down again. So pick them up, give them some scrambled egg or a short strand of cooked spaghetti, and put them down again. Mind you, some will be so freaked out inside their little heads they won't see what you're holding out to them
It'll all be worth it when you need to handle them if one is ill, or simply when they jump on your lap to nick your sandwich!