tailwheel, it seems you're thinking of the AOA as an angle from the horizon. Properly speaking, AOA is between relative airflow and chord line. However, if your relative airflow is horizontal, it easy to catch yourself thinking of it with reference to the horizon.
The reason your nose gets closer to the horizon and yet your AOA is increasing is because you have to measure the angle of the chord line above the relative airflow (or above horizon if rel. airflow is horizontal). So if AOA goes from -7 to -6 the nose is getting closer to the horizon, but the angle of the chord line above the relative airflow is increasing.