I started reading a bedtime story just after 6 months with Bryony, and by a year she enjoyed much longer stories and could have books with paper pages without trying to eat them! Ben is ten months and is lucky at the moment to get one very quick story a week! :roll: I want to make more effort because Bryony really loves her books.
I did Bryony's story during cuddle time, then i would pop her into bed and kiss her goodnight and go. Looking at your routine, it looks like that would work well. My advice would be to start with a really short story and to read it very calmly and quietly. you can read the same one for several days just so she gets used to it, and if she starts fussing while you're partway through, just leave it and go on to lullaby. that's how I do things with Ben.
As for coming back in after the story - don't know! I always did Bryony's bedtime until about a year, then dh started doing alternate nights, coming in to read the story and put her to bed after I'd fed her. Now dh deals with bryony while I put Ben to bed, and although I know that we'll have to deal with it sometime soon, I'm dreading dh putting Ben to bed - it will probably take some time (and tears :shock: ) for Ben to adjust.
Sorry to ramble - hth!